Fire snarls traffic

Traffic is snarled as firefighters work to put out a brushfire on Queen Kaahumanu Highway fronting the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority Wednesday afternoon. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Traffic is snarled as firefighters work to put out a brushfire on Queen Kaahumanu Highway fronting the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority Wednesday afternoon. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Traffic is snarled as firefighters work to put out a brushfire on Queen Kaahumanu Highway fronting the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority Wednesday afternoon. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Traffic was slowed to a crawl Wednesday afternoon on Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona after a brush fire broke out makai of the major thoroughfare near the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. The fire, reported about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, scorched about 5 acres before firefighters could get the blaze under control. County firefighters were assisted by volunteer firefighters and Chopper 2 in dousing the flames. No injuries were reported. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)