Firefighters extinguish 30-acre brush fire in Kōke‘e Sunday

Kaua‘i firefighters extinguished a 30-acre brush fire that broke out in Kōke‘e on Sunday.

No injuries were reported.

According to a preliminary report, Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel received a report at approximately 5:30 p.m. of a brush fire by mile-marker 3 on Waimea Canyon Drive in Kōke‘e.

Personnel with the Kalāheo, Hanapēpē, and Waimea fire stations, Tender 1, Rescue 3, Air 1, the on-duty Battalion Chief, the Kaua‘i Police Department, personnel with Kekaha Agriculture and the Kekaha Landfill, landowners, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife responded to the incident.

Firefighters responded to a fire on the makai side of Waimea Canyon Drive, behind the hunter check-in station. Due to limited access, Air 1 was deployed to make water drops while Kekaha Agriculture personnel helped firefighters reach the blaze. Crews contained and extinguished the east-southwest flank of the fire and continued to put out hotspots along the south ridge. At 7:40 p.m., DOFAW took over command from KFD personnel. DOFAW remains on the scene in the event of flare-ups, with KFD personnel on standby,

KFD cleared the scene shortly before 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Waimea Canyon Drive, between Nele Road and Kōke‘e Road, was closed during KFD’s response and later reopened when KFD crews cleared the scene. During the closure, motorists used Kōke‘e Road.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.