A fire burns early Monday morning at the Kula Lodge & Restaurant. Courtesy Maui Fire Department

A fire at Kula Lodge & Restaurant sent smoke and flames billowing into the dark sky early Monday morning as the Maui Fire Department battled the blaze.

According to Maui Fire, a renter in one of the rooms at the lodge reported seeing flames coming from the Kula Lodge & Restaurant at 15200 Haleakala Highway at about 3:19 a.m. Monday.

Firefighters arrived on scene at approximately 3:33 a.m., and the Kula Lodge & Restaurant was engulfed in flames, according to Maui Fire. An evacuation of the property was conducted, and firefighters were able to gain control of the fire around 5:30 a.m.

Several engines and firefighters remained on the scene with Maui police throughout the morning. Maui Fire said the cause of the blaze has not been determined and remains under investigation.

A Kula resident said explosions could be heard coming from the restaurant’s kitchen area at about 3:20 a.m..

At 7:55 a.m., the county alerted the public that both lanes of Haleakala Highway between Upper Kimo Drive and Ainakula Road would be closed due to a structure fire.

Firefighters work to control a blaze at the historic Kula Lodge & Restaurant on the old Haleakala Highway early Monday morning. The Maui News /Andy Gross

The iconic Kula Lodge & Restaurant and Kula Marketplace was purchased by veteran restaurateur Simon Vojdani in November 2022 for $11 million. The Kula Lodge & Restaurant has five dwellings for rent.

His daughter, Stephanie Mallek, served the operations manager and brought renovations and new dining initiatives to the upcountry institution. The lodge was previously owned by the late Fred Romanchak since 1984.

The owners allowed Kula Strong to use the property as a staging ground for water and food distribution in the aftermath of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mallek said an official statement would be forthcoming and added that the Kula Marketplace would open at noon Monday.

Mallek said no one was hurt and the fire was contained to the restaurant based on her understanding.

“We are incredibly grateful to MFD for their quick and thorough response and we are waiting on the investigation to find out what happened,” she wrote. “Please do encourage people to come in and visit Kula Marketplace as it will be fully up and running at noon and will have normal business hours moving forward.”

Courtesy Maui Fire Department