Wildfire in Hawaii that threatened 200 homes, prompted evacuations, contained
A wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Kauai that threatened around 200 homes has been contained as of early Tuesday morning.
The fire scorched around 1,000 acres near the communities of Hanapēpē and Kaumakani, according to officials from the Kauai Fire Department. Electricity to users on the western side of the island was also temporarily disabled.
An evacuation notice for residents around the Kaumakani area was lifted shortly before midnight on July 15. County fire officials reported that one structure was destroyed by the fire, but that no injuries had been reported. A fire watch was continuing to be maintained as of Tuesday afternoon and multiple sensors had been installed to monitor the fire.
The fire was first reported around noon on Monday. Local firefighter crews responded by dropping water from helicopters, along with using heavy machinery to create firebreaks, according to officials.
Kauai fire map
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Two shelters, one at Waimea High School and one at the Hanapēpē Neighborhood Center remained open as of Tuesday to assist local residents affected by the fires.
The fire comes just days after a similar brush fire fanned by high winds in the island of Maui forced the closure of Haleakala National Park.
Last year, another wildfire in Maui County forced the evacuation of hundreds of people in the town of Lahaina. More than 250 structures were damaged in those fires in a town that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, along with the largest banyan tree in the United States.