PAIA — The Paia brush fire that burned about 600 acres, threatening a school and Skill Village homes, was deemed 100 percent contained as of Sunday morning.

Baldwin Avenue also was fully reopened by 1 a.m., according to a county announcement.

Fire crews, though, were continuing to mop up, and a hot spot was being doused Sunday morning at the edge of Doris Todd Christian Academy, where the fire reached the edge of the sports field and campus.

Several fire trucks were on site at the school, and a tractor was removing charred logs from the field above the school.

Blackened plots of land were seen along Baldwin Avenue, where flames reached within inches of the roadway.

There were no reported injuries or property damage, although some evacuations occurred near Baldwin Avenue on Saturday, the county said Sunday.

The brush fire was reported just after 1 p.m. Saturday near Holomua Road, which runs along Old Maui High School and through cane fields. It connects Hana Highway and Baldwin Avenue.

Paia residents were forced to leave their homes or remain in thick smoke and ash as the brush fire barreled toward Baldwin Avenue. Police responded to medical calls from Skill Village residents, who were temporarily without power and couldn’t leave the area due to heavy smoke, low visibility and unsafe road conditions.

Doris Todd teacher Gladys Saenz was out shopping at Costco when she stepped outside and saw smoke. A friend called and told her about the Paia fire.

She said flames could be seen when she was on Baldwin Avenue but thick smoke was in the area once she reached the cottage at Doris Todd where she and her husband, Mark, live.

“We were able to grab our stuff in literally less than a minute,” she said.

Saenz said her home and other area properties were evacuated.

“It’s sort of surreal. I’m wondering, is this really happening?” she said. “I don’t think I’ve had time to process it yet.”

Saenz also said they were trying to find their cat but couldn’t.

Paia resident Rod Antone was driving around Skill Village midafternoon Saturday, powering his phone because electricity went out.

He said Skill Village residents weren’t able to leave the area because visibility was low.

“I can’t even see the road right now,” he said. “I should be able to see a tree over there — I can’t even see a tree.”

Antone added that people were standing on rooftops, watering their homes.

Fed by strong winds and dry brush, the blaze moved west toward Doris Todd, located across from Skill Village. Fire crews battled the blaze with the help of multiple tankers, along with Air 1 and Air 2 helicopters, the Maui Fire Department said in a release.

“It is big and it is running,” Val Martin, MFD assistant chief, said around 2 p.m. Saturday.

The National Weather Service reported an east wind of about 23 mph with gusts up to 32 mph in the area.

The Maui Police Department closed Baldwin Avenue in Paia between the old Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar mill and Paia Elementary School around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

It was reopened in both directions up to Skill Village by 5:30 p.m., but the mauka portion remained closed at nightfall.

A few structures were evacuated near Baldwin Avenue, according to MFD.

Maui Electric Co. said that around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, about 450 customers in portions of Paia experienced a power outage when the circuit serving the area was de-energized to support emergency response efforts to the brush fire.

A half hour later, power was rerouted and restored to about 250 people. The remaining 200 were brought back online at 7:45 p.m., when it was safe for the circuit to be re-energized, according to MECO.

The fire had burned 578 acres and was 30 percent contained as of 5:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Maui County spokesman Brian Perry.

Also responding to the blaze were firefighters with Engine 2 from Paia, Engine 10 from Kahului, Engine 5 from Makawao, Engine 14 from Wailea and Engine 6 from Kihei. Private water tanker crews assisted.

The fire is still under investigation, and its cause is undetermined, Perry said Sunday morning.

However, Mayor Michael Victorino urged caution moving forward, especially during the holidays when fireworks are used.

“I would like to thank firefighters, police, private contractor heavy equipment crews and everyone who responded quickly to this brush fire that threatened Skill Village in Paia,” he said in a statement Sunday. “Thankfully, there were no injuries or property damage, but we must remain vigilant and stay safe, especially as the New Year’s holiday approaches. Aerial fireworks are illegal, and I fully support the Maui Police Department in its enforcement of a new state law aimed at cracking down on illegal aerial fireworks.”

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