PO‘IPU — The heavy smoke rising into the sky in Hanapepe stemmed from a controlled burn of sugarcane fields on Gay & Robinson property, county spokesperson Mary Daubert said, but a separate blaze Tuesday morning in Po‘ipu had the potential to spiral out of control.
After dropping her children off at the beach, Kalaheo resident Lisa Lewis was driving down Ala Kinoiki (Koloa bypass road) Tuesday morning and immediately knew something was wrong when she saw fire and smoke.
“Something told me something wasn’t right,” she said.
Then she was jolted by the fact that it wasn’t just a brush fire, but a vehicle fire, and a man was standing by his full-size pickup truck desperately trying to remove tools, produce and other things from the burning vehicle.
She yelled to the man, asking if he was alright, and he replied in the affirmative, saying his truck was on fire, she said in an interview Tuesday.
Lewis said the man, who was not identified, told her he had called 911 and his wife, but Lewis didn’t hear any sirens so she called 911 two more times to make sure help was on the way.
By 11:10 a.m. the fire was out, but before that there were some tense moments, especially when the man told her the truck had a full tank of gas and he was still trying to remove items from the burning vehicle instead of trying to put distance between himself and his vehicle.
“He looked a little disoriented,” she said, estimated by her to be in his 70s.
She told him to run away from the vehicle, worried that it could explode at any time, as she grabbed some of the tools to assist the man.
He told her he couldn’t run. The fire was spreading and she was worried about the full gas tank exploding, she said.
“I was kinda scared because I thought the fire was going to go,” she said. “I’m just grateful everyone’s all right,” though the truck was charred, she said.
“I was thinking people could die.”
Four Kaua‘i Fire Department vehicles responded, she said.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Lewis said she thinks it could have been started by the vehicle’s hot muffler.
Brush fire season is coming up soon, according to the Fire Department Prevention Bureau.
Here are some safety tips: Do not burn outdoors. If you must burn outdoors, adhere to the following guidelines; No more than 25 pounds of leaves per day. Be at least 25 feet away from any structures, long grass or dry shrubbery. Have a garden hose nearby to extinguish the fire if it becomes necessary. Burning is not allowed if the wind is blowing more than 10 miles per hour and burning is only allowed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Fourth of July is just around the corner and county fire officials remind everyone to be extra careful because it is so dry. Fireworks can only be set off on private property and can only be used under the close supervision of an adult.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
