A portion of the Lahaina Bypass was closed and some Lahaina residents voluntarily left their homes Tuesday night, as fire crews worked to contain a brush fire that lit up the West Maui hillside, burning about 850 acres after starting in the area of Kauaula Valley. Judy Mahaulu photo
A portion of the Lahaina Bypass was closed and some Lahaina residents voluntarily left their homes Tuesday night, as fire crews worked to contain a brush fire that lit up the West Maui hillside, burning about 850 acres after starting in the area of Kauaula Valley.
The fire was reported at 11:40 a.m. Tuesday amid gusty trade winds. The Maui Fire Department reported access to the area was challenging because of rough terrain.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire was 20 percent contained.
Cynthia and Zane Monteleone, who live off Lahainaluna Road, evacuated with their three kids, two cats and one dog to a friend’s home in Launiupoko around 7 p.m. Tuesday after a police car came through the neighborhood asking residents to pack up their belongings just in case they needed to leave the area for safety.
“The fire had climbed over the valley and was crawling down the hill as we left,” Cynthia Monteleone said around 9 p.m. “The edge of the solar field was lit up as the fire continued across the mountain from past the ‘L’ down heading to the bypass.”
After the family evacuated, she said the fire appeared to be settling down, but then a “huge blaze” appeared over the hill. There was some rain, momentarily, which helped, but then the wind blew and made the fire grow again. She said there was a lot of smoke.
“It was changing so rapidly, so we can’t tell what will happen,” she said.
From Lahaina, West Maui state Rep. Angus McKelvey, who appeared headed to victory as the new senator for the district on Tuesday night, said he watched the fire as it started in the valley, then at sunset neared the solar farm above the bypass and Lahainaluna High School.
“It’s Lahaina Strong fire 2.0,” he said, referring to August 2018 when three fires burned more than 2,000 acres from Maalaea to Kaanapali and destroyed 11 homes in Kauaula Valley. “It’s very close to Lahainaluna.”
McKelvey said winds at first appeared to be helping keep the fire in check before strong trade winds that accelerated the fire downhill.
At about 8:30 p.m., the county said residents near Lahainaluna High School, Lahainaluna Road and Hokiokio Place may need to evacuate.
The Lahaina Civic Center had opened for evacuations, and the Maui Emergency Management Agency was partially activated, the county said.
Traffic on the Lahaina Bypass was being redirected to Honoapiilani Highway from Kai Hele Ku Street to Hokiokio Place. The bypass was closed in the vicinity of Lahainaluna Road to Lahainaluna High School.
The state Department of Education announced Tuesday evening that Lahainaluna High School, Lahaina Intermediate School, Princess Nahienaena Elementary and King Kamehameha III Elementary would be closed today due to the fire and evacuations.
Schools were working to notify staff and students’ families, the DOE said.
In his neighborhood below the bypass, Lahaina resident Kim Ball said some of his neighbors had left and another was packing up to go. He said his family planned to “sit it out.”
By early Tuesday night, Ball said the fire hadn’t burned as far down as the 2018 fire, which burned the entrance to the bypass.
Lahaina engine, ladder and tanker companies, a Napili engine company, three helicopters and a battalion chief responded to the fire.
* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com. Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.
A portion of the Lahaina Bypass was closed and some Lahaina residents voluntarily left their homes Tuesday night, as fire crews worked to contain a brush fire that lit up the West Maui hillside, burning about 850 acres after starting in the area of Kauaula Valley. Judy Mahaulu photoToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
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