Crews still mopping up Kihei fire scene

KIHEI - Hot spots continued to flare up Saturday in a 500-acre pasture blackened by a wildfire that spread from the Keonekai area up the slopes alongside the Maui Meadows subdivision.

Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said the fire was contained, but two firefighter crews remained at the scene Saturday night to continue mopping up hot spots and to monitor the burn area.

The Air One fire helicopter also assisted Saturday with water drops on smoldering brush that threatened to reignite the fire.

The fire broke out Aug. 23 in a 13-acre parcel makai of the Piilani Highway.

Maui police said a 15-year-old boy was charged with setting an unauthorized fire that turned into the wildfire that damaged firefighters' vehicles at the Wailea Fire Station and jumped the highway to spread up the slopes.

Brought under control by the next day, hot spots in the original 155-acre burn area were rekindled by gusty winds on Tuesday and flames spread up the slopes, approaching within 30 yards of several Maui Meadows properties.

Firefighters had the rekindled fire contained by Thursday but could not extinguish all the still-smoldering kiawe trees scattered through the fields.