MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii – More than 100 homes were evacuated in Kahikinui on Hawaii’s island of Maui after a wind-driven brush fire quickly spread.
The fire reached about 500 acres, according to Maui County officials. No injuries or property damage have been reported. The county said exact fire containment figures have not yet been determined.
The Maui County Fire Department said the fire sparked about 10 a.m. local time on Sunday in Kahikinui.
“The fire is currently moving up the mountain, pushed by strong winds,” the Maui County Fire Department said on X.
The fire was initially reported to be around 20 acres before exploding in size.
The fire is moving upslope into challenging terrain, officials said, fueled by high winds. According to the National Weather Service in Honolulu, winds near Kahikinui were gusting around 20 mph with locally higher gusts to nearly 50 mph.
About an hour after the fire started, Maui County Emergency Management (MEMA) issued an emergency evacuation order for mile marker 24 in Kahikinui. The evacuations included 30 to 40 homes, according to MEMA.
Residents were notified through the new Genasys Protect App and MEMA Alerts, as emergency officials went door to door.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed an Emergency Proclamation to free up federal funds for any potential impacts. Maui Police also shut down Pi’ilani Highway (Hawaii Route 31) from mile marker 20 to 41 due to the firefight.
The American Red Cross set up a temporary evacuation point at Grandma’s Coffee House on Kula Highway in Ulupalakua.
Less than two years ago, Maui County experienced the deadliest fire in modern U.S. history and Hawaii’s worst natural catastrophe when wind-whipped fires swept through communities, including Lahaina, destroying everything in their path and claiming at least 102 lives in the coastal town.
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