LIHU‘E — While under a National Weather Service red-flag warning for critical fire conditions Sunday, Kaua‘i saw two brush fires that were quickly extinguished.
LIHU‘E — While under a National Weather Service red-flag warning for critical fire conditions Sunday, Kaua‘i saw two brush fires that were quickly extinguished.
The Kaua‘i Fire Department reported they were dispatched to a brush fire near Alekoko Fishpond in Niumalu at approximately 12:50 p.m. Sunday.
The Lihu‘e and Kapa‘a fire stations, Tanker 1, Rescue 3 and a battalion chief responded to the incident.
KFD personnel arrived on scene at approximately 1 p.m. and utilized approximately 3,550 gallons of water the extinguish the fire. The fire was under control at approximately 1:15 p.m. and fully extinguished by 1:40 p.m.
At 5:50 p.m. that day, KFD was dispatched to another brush fire near Halehaka Road in Lihu‘e. The Lihu‘e and Kapa‘a fire stations, Tanker 1, Tanker 2, Rescue 3 and a battalion chief responded to the incident, arriving on scene at approximately 6 p.m. and quickly extinguishing the fire with approximately 3,500 gallons of water.
No injuries were reported in either fire, and the causes of both are undetermined, KFD said Monday.
A red-flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will occur shortly. The combination of dry fuels, strong and gusty trade winds and low relative humidity could have produced extreme fire behavior on Sunday and Monday, especially during the afternoon hours. A red-flag warning does not predict new fire starts.
Any fires that develop would likely spread rapidly in these conditions, according to the NWS. The public was encouraged to not participate in any outdoor burning, even after the warning expired last night.
