When Vicki Havron looked out of her Pukalani home early Thursday afternoon, she saw flames sprint across the fallow sugar fields below the town in a matter of minutes.

“I went out to my lanai, saw the fire, the wind was howling, and within minutes the fire had traveled four to five times the distance of when I originally saw it,” she said Friday. “Before I knew it, it was below the golf course. I was worried if the winds changed direction, we would have to evacuate quickly.”

No homes or evacuations were ordered, though, and Maui Fire Department on Friday afternoon reported the fire 80 percent contained with about 5,300 acres of former sugar cane fields burned below Pukalani.

After an investigation, the fire was deemed “accidental” and “caused by farm equipment working in the fields near Haleakala Highway,” according to Chris Stankis, Fire Department acting information officer. The owner of the farm equipment was not identified, but the land where the fire started is owned by Mahi Pono.

While homes were spared, Maui Electric Co. sustained about $1 million in damage to 36 poles and power lines downed by the blaze, the utility said.

“A majority of the damaged poles are located in a remote gulch, which required crews to hike in to start repairs today and equipment and materials to be flown in to the area by helicopter,” MECO spokeswoman Shayna Decker said Friday.

Electrical service to customers was not impacted by the fire, she added.

Tropical Storm Erick, passing south of the islands, fed the fire with 20 mph gusts Thursday, but later doused the flames with rain and cooler temperatures Friday.

“The continued rain, light winds and cooler conditions have aided in reducing fire activity,” Stankis said.

Around the perimeter, crews were continuing to douse hot spots and flare-ups while heavy equipment was working to cut and reinforce firebreaks on Friday as night fell. One Fire Department engine, a tanker and a battalion chief remained on scene, Stankis said.

Smoke and the smell of fire spread from Upcountry to Kahului and Kihei. Some residents reported trouble breathing.

Lower Pukalani resident Stephanie Garcia said the smoke and poor air quality is causing her family to take precautions because her toddler has asthma.

“We have our air purifier and keeping windows closed,” she said Friday.

The brush fire, reported at 1:53 p.m. Thursday, started on Mahi Pono land near Haleakala Highway across from Haliimaile Road, the company said in a Friday news release.

The fire headed south of Omaopio Road below Pukalani and toward the fork at Pulehu and Omaopio roads, where it jumped Pulehu Road at about 3:45 p.m., according to fire officials and Mahi Pono. It eventually came to a stop where a wildfire burned three weeks ago, near the border of Haleakala Ranch, Mahi Pono said.

The Maui Police Department closed Pulehu Road at Hansen and Omaopio roads — later expanding the closure into Kula — and asked motorists to avoid the area Thursday afternoon and evening. The road was reopened early Friday.

Maui Pono irrigation equipment was damaged but an estimate was not available Friday afternoon, according to Shan Tsutsui, Mahi Pono senior vice president.

“We would like to extend our appreciation to the Maui Fire Department for their quick response to the latest brush fire on Maui,” he said. “When incidents like this happen, we also look to our partners for assistance and once again they stepped up without hesitation to help Mahi Pono and our community. Mahalo to Alpha Construction, Goodfellow Bros., TJ Gomes Trucking, Rojac Trucking, Erwin DeCoite & Sons Trucking and Alan Vares — their crews and expertise were instrumental in helping us clear firebreaks to help mitigate the situation as quickly as possible.”

Mahi Pono declined to say whether it owned the equipment that started the fire.

Residents have been on heightened alert to wildfires since a 9,000-acre blaze that started July 11. That fire burned fallow fields from Waikapu to Kihei, much of which are owned by Mahi Pono. As firefighters were dealing with that blaze, a second major brush fire occurred the next day, consuming more than 200 acres in Puunene, also leaving Mahi Pono land charred near the Puunene Mill.

Arson is being investigated in both those cases and an arrest was made in the July 11 wildfire.

* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.