The Maui News

A brush fire fed by brisk winds burned 50 acres but spared homes in Ranch Camp on Molokai Sunday afternoon.

The blaze was reported at 3 p.m. mauka of Kikipua Street in Kaunakakai, according to the Maui Fire Department. Conditions at the time were hot, with moderate winds.

Three engine companies, two MFD tankers, two emergency callback crews, the department’s Air One and Air Two helicopters, a county Public Works tanker and grader and a state Department of Transportation tanker all responded to the incident.

By about 5 p.m., crews had knocked down the fire and remained on scene to secure the perimeter and extinguish hotspots. The Fire Department said it was 70 percent contained.

No evacuations or damages were reported.

MFD said the cause was unknown.

Ranch Camp resident Ryan Dugger said he heard sirens behind his house shortly after 3:30 p.m. and climbed up on his roof to see what was happening. He estimated that the fire was about 600 yards from his home.

“It started out towards the middle of Ranch Camp and moved west really fast,” he said.

Dugger wasn’t worried about evacuations at the time but said if the winds had shifted and the closely packed houses caught fire, things could’ve been bad.

“Mahalo to the firefighters. They were on it,” he said.

Edwin Mendija was driving home from town shortly after 3 p.m. when he spotted “a huge cloud of smoke above Ranch Camp.”

“It kind of freaked us out a bit because we live up there,” Mendija said. “My parents live near the top. And it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed a fire up there.”

Mendija drove up to his parents’ home and watched as large flames came down to the dirt access road right behind the homes. He estimated they were within 20 to 30 feet of the nearest properties.

Mendija said conditions were windy and hot, and like Dugger, he was relieved that the fast-spreading fire didn’t take a turn for the worse.

“The firefighters did a great job taking this one out,” he said. “I was surprised how fast they stopped it. The flames were pretty intense.”