Firefighters put out early-morning blaze
Fire crews extinguished an early-morning brush fire Friday off North Holokai Road in Haiku that burned 1.5 acres and threatened homes in the area, a fire official said.
Paia and Makawao firefighters, as well as a Kahului tanker, responded to the 3:29 a.m. alarm, finding flames as high as 40 feet, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga.
"Firefighters worked quickly to protect the homes and stop the fire's advance," he said.
By 4 a.m., the fire had been contained, and crews were mopping up hot spots. The fire was extinguished at 4:43 a.m.
No property was damaged, and no injuries were reported, Mainaga said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
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Offices set to close for New Year's Day
Federal, state and county offices will be closed Tuesday in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.
All county pools and state public libraries will not be open.
On Monday, all libraries that are normally open Mondays after 5 p.m. will close at 5 p.m.
The county's e-cycling program in Wailuku will not be in operation for the holiday.
The Olowalu, Hana, Lanai and Molokai landfills will be closed. The Central Maui Landfill and EKO Compost will be open from 6 a.m. to noon.
Lanai's county residential trash collection will be done Thursday instead of Tuesday. All other residential trash pick-up routes will not be affected.
The Maui News business offices will be closed. Newspapers will be delivered as usual.
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Monday is deadline for water meter list
Monday is the last day to submit a new application to be placed on the Upcountry priority water meter list.
A new law ends the priority list on Jan. 1.
Applicants who wish to have new or additional water services for premises not on the priority list by Tuesday must wait until all premises on the list have been served and or deleted.
The application to request water service in Upcountry can be found online at www.mauiwater.org on the forms page.
Applications may be dropped off at the Engineering Division Office of the Department of Water Supply on the fifth floor of the Kalana O Maui building at 200 S. High St. in Wailuku or faxed to 270-7833.
Applications may be mailed and postmarked no later than Monday.
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High-surf warning extended for islands
The National Weather Service posted a high-surf warning for the north-facing shores of Maui and Molokai from noon today to 6 p.m. Monday.
The notice warns beachgoers of battering waves that bring dangerous shoreline and swimming conditions, including rip currents. The surf is expected to peak during a 2.2-foot high tide Sunday morning, which could result in some coastal flooding in low-lying areas.
Surf was expected to build rapidly to 18 to 22 feet by this evening, then to 25 to 35 feet Sunday. West-facing shores can expect surf of 14 to 18 feet by this evening, then 20 to 25 feet Sunday.
For more information, call (866) 944-5025 or go online to www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.
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Road closes after park wall collapses
A portion of a retaining wall at Maui Memorial Park collapsed Friday afternoon, prompting police to close Waiinu Road from Waiale Road to Maui Lani Parkway in Wailuku.
Approximately 50 feet of the wall fell down shortly before 5 p.m., said Maui police spokesman Lt. Wayne Ibarra.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, he said. The extent of damage was unclear.
Ibarra said county officials were notified, and cemetery officials were on the scene.
Attempts to contact cemetery officials for comment were unsuccessful.
