Two brush fires blazing in North and South Kohala

Hawaii County Fire Department is battling two brush fires in North and South Kohala — one in the North Kohala District off Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270) near Kohala Ranch and the other in the South Kohala District in Waimea.

Fire personnel are on the scene, and smoke may be visible in these areas. As a result of the brushfires, Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270) is closed between the 6 and 7 Mile Markers until further notice. Kohala Mountain Road was previously closed due to fallen trees but is now open.

As of 10 a.m. this morning, 520 acres have burnt at the North Kohala fire and is still out of control, both mauka and makai of the highway. The fire in Waimea is located Lalamilo with 20 acres scorched. That fire has been contained.

The fires were encroaching homes in both locations but no structures have been damaged at this point. Five bulldozers are cutting breaks in North Kohala and two at the Waimea fire.

HFD helicopters are not able to assist in fighting the fires due to dangerous high wind conditions.

Due to the proximity of the fires to various structures, Hisaoka Gym in Kapaʻau and the Waimea Community Center in Waimea have opened as evacuation shelters. A mandatory evacuation was called for in the Kohala Ranch area, and 2 residents have taken shelter at Hisaoka Gymnasium. Kohala by the Sea and Kohala Waterfront are currently being evacuated.

Waimea Middle School is closed today due to wind and fire conditions.

Power outages in the area may affect communication streams to the public. To receive timely and essential alerts, the County urges residents to sign up for Everbridge messages from Civil Defense. This service allows individuals to receive critical notifications directly through their preferred communication channels, enabling them to make well-informed decisions in real-time. To register for this service, please visit member.everbridge.net/371914103062563/login.

Updates will be reported as they are made available.