URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
426 AM HST TUE MAR 9 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING FOR LEEWARD SECTIONS OF ALL ISLANDS…

.STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY…ESPECIALLY THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS.

KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE COAST-MOLOKAI LEEWARD- MAUI LEEWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-KONA- SOUTH BIG ISLAND-KOHALA-
426 AM HST TUE MAR 9 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING…

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. A RED FLAG WARNING DOES NOT PREDICT NEW FIRE STARTS.

UPDATED MEDIA RELEASE (3/9/10)

An autopsy conducted Monday (March 8) on Kimo K. Elderts, 28, who was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, .3 miles south of the 71 mile-marker on Saturday (March 6) concluded that he died of natural causes and not from injuries sustained in the crash.

The traffic fatality count was reduced to eight compared with four at this time last year.

UPDATED MEDIA RELEASE (3/8/10)

Police traffic investigators have identified a 28-year-old Hilo man who died Saturday (March 6) from injuries he sustained in a two vehicle crash on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, .3 miles south of the 71-mile marker.

The victim was identified as Kimo K. Elderts of a Hilo address.

Responding to a 1:15 a.m. call, South Kohala patrol officers determined that the victim was operating a 1989 Honda four-door sedan and traveling north on the highway when he crossed the centerline and collided with a 2010 Kia multi-purpose vehicle traveling south.

The driver of the Kia, a 21-year-old woman from Kailua-Kona, and her passenger, a 28-year-old man from Kamuela, were transported by Fire Rescue personnel to North Hawaii Community Hospital.

The woman was flown to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu and was listed in critical condition.

The passenger was still confined to North Hawaii Community Hospital.

Both drivers were not wearing their seat belts while the front seat passenger was.

The victim was pronounced dead at 5:28 a.m. at Kona Community Hospital.

It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs were involved but speed was a factor in this crash.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a negligent homicide investigation and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to call Officer Andres Fojas at 961-8889.

Media Release compiled by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

Fire/rescue crews responded to a 1:14 a.m. alarm Saturday (March 6) for a two car high speed crash on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway near the 72 mile marker which closed the roadway.

Two compact vehicles were involved in the head-on collision. One car had a lone driver pinned in the vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene.

The second car had a driver in serious condition who was pinned in the vehicle. A front seat passenger was in serious condition and free from the vehicle.

The highway was closed to traffic during the rescue of the pinned victims, to clear debris and for the police investigation. Both the driver and passenger of the second vehicle were taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital by medic units.

Hawaii County Civil Defense reported that police re-opened the highway to traffic at 6:40 a.m.

URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
332 AM HST WED MAR 3 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR LEEWARD SECTIONS OF ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS…

.STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS COMBINED WITH DRY AND STABLE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH TODAY…CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE- OLOMANA-CENTRAL OAHU-WAIANAE MOUNTAINS-MOLOKAI LEEWARD- LANAI MAKAI-LANAI MAUKA-KAHOOLAWE-MAUI LEEWARD WEST- MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-KONA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND- KOHALA-
332 AM HST WED MAR 3 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING…

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. A RED FLAG WARNING DOES NOT PREDICT NEW FIRE STARTS.

URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
528 AM HST TUE MAR 2 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR LEEWARD PORTIONS OF ALL ISLANDS…

.STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS AND A DRY AND STABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL PERSIST INTO TUESDAY…CREATING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE- OLOMANA-CENTRAL OAHU-WAIANAE MOUNTAINS-MOLOKAI LEEWARD- LANAI MAKAI-LANAI MAUKA-KAHOOLAWE-MAUI LEEWARD WEST- MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-KONA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND- KOHALA-
528 AM HST TUE MAR 2 2010

…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING…

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. A RED FLAG WARNING DOES NOT PREDICT NEW FIRE STARTS.

MEDIA RELEASE

Firefighters responded to a brushfire just before noon Saturday (Feb 20) mauka of Clem Akina Park on Wainaku Street in Hilo.

Crews found a fire involving an acre of bamboo forest. Firefighters had the fire under control in an hour and out at 2:30 p.m.

There were no injuries reported and no roadways blocked. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Hawaii County Fire Department's Chopper One lowers the mother in a Billy Pugh rescue net to paramedics at Lapakahi State Park Sunday (Feb 14). Photography by Rusty Orr | Special to Hawaii 24/7.

MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaii County Fire Department's Chopper One lowers a 13 year-old girl in a Billy Pugh rescue net to paramedics at Lapakahi State Park Sunday (Feb 14). Photography by Rusty Orr | Special to Hawaii 24/7.

Fire/rescue crews responded to an alarm just before 3 p.m. for kayakers in trouble 1/2 mile off-shore Mahukona State Park Sunday (Feb 14).

A 57 year-old woman and 13 year-old daughter were kayaking in an inflatable kayak and got caught by an off-shore wind that prevented them from paddling back to shore. A bystander with a kayak attempted a rescue by towing the pair in but was unsuccessful.

County fire helicopters spotted the pair and dropped a rescue swimmer into the water along with lowering a Billy Pugh rescue net. First the girl then the mother were airlifted to Lapakahi State Park to a paramedic unit. Both kayakers were fatigued but alright and were transported back to Mahukona State Park. The report noted the kayaker’s unfamiliarity with windy conditions at Mahukona cause the problem.

MEDIA RELEASE

Fire/rescue responded to a 4:31 p.m. alarm Wednesday (Feb 10) to a structure fire at 1694 Waianuenue Avenue in Kaumana.

Upon arrival crews found a four bedroom home with flames coming from the rear bedroom windows and smoke pouring from all windows and the roof.

A 95 year-old woman had been rescued from the burning home by a family member, was treated by paramedics and taken to Hilo Medical Center where she is reported to be in guarded condition.

Firefighters had the fire in the bedroom and adjoining room and hallway under control by 4:52 p.m. and the fire was reported to be out at 6 p.m.

Damage to the 2,500 square foot home was estimated to be $150,000. Waianuenue Avenue was closed during the fire with traffic detoured through Wailuku Drive and Ainako Avenue. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

MEDIA RELEASE

Fire/rescue crews responded to a 5:51 a.m. alarm Tuesday (Feb 9) for a structure fire at 95-1236 Ohia Street in Pahala.

Upon arrival crews found a single-story home engulfed in flames. Winds fanned flames from the buring structure south towards two neighboring homes causing damage to them. The wooden 3,400 square-foot home was a total loss. The fire was reported to be under control at 6:30 a.m. and out at 10 a.m.

Occupants of all the homes escaped without injury. The total loss of the home combined with the damage to neighboring homes was estimated to be $277,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by fire inspectors.

UPDATED MEDIA RELEASE (2/9/10 4:31 p.m.)

Police traffic investigators have identified a 53-year-old Kealakekua man who died Monday (February 8) from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle crash on Route 180 .1 mile north of Hualālai Road in Kailua-Kona.

The victim was identified as Mark D. Bilan, of a Kealakekua address.

This was the 6th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with four [corrected] at this time last year.

UPDATED MEDIA RELEASE (2/9/10 8:26 a.m.)

A 53-year-old Kealakekua man died Monday (February 8) from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle crash on Route 180 .1 mile north of Hualālai Road in Kailua-Kona.

Responding to a 4:37 p.m. call, Kona patrol officers determined that the victim was operating a 1988 BMW motorcycle and traveling south on Route 180, when he overtook another vehicle in a no passing zone, lost control and ran off the right side of the road, striking a tree.

The victim was not wearing a helmet.

The victim was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m.

It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs were involved but speed was a factor in this crash.

The name of the victim was being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner’s inquest case and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

This is the 6th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with five at this time last year.

MEDIA RELEASE (2/8/10)

Fire/rescue crews responded for a 4:38 p.m. alarm Monday (Feb. 8) to Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy 180) approximately 50 yards north of the Hualalai Road intersection in Holualoa for a motorcycle crash.

Upon arrival crews found a 54-year-old male with multiple injuries including a significant head injury. The rider was 20 feet down an embankment in a coffee field after apparently losing control of his motorcycle while heading south on Mamalahoa Highway.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash is unknown.

iPhone version of video
Photography by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

MEDIA RELEASE

Fire crews responded to a 4:46 p.m. alarm Monday (Feb 8) for a brushfire in Fern Acres between 1 Road (Uhina Ana Road) and Plumeria Street.

Thick brush and grass burned over two acres of land in a partially graded and cleared lot. The owner of the property had been attempting to clear his land but lost control of a fire. Putting out the blaze was also hampered by the lack of fire hydrants in the area.

There were no injuries reported and the fire was declared out at 7 p.m.

Firefighters work to put out a fire in Fern Acres. Photography by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7.

MEDIA RELEASE

Fire/rescue crews responded to the intersection of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Hina Lani Street for a 250 gallon spill of used cooking oil at 4:49 p.m, Thursday (Feb 4).

A flatbed truck travelling makai on Hina Lani Street was making a right turn north onto Queen Kaahumanu Highway when a strap holding a 250 gallon container of used cooking oil broke loose. The container fell off the truck and onto the roadway.

Fire crews used 40 bags of absorbent clean-up material spread on the roadway to soak-up the spilled oil. The absorbent material was collected by a truck and taken away while a finer type of absorbent material was spread on the roadway.

Highway crews monitored the spill area and traffic was directed by police around the spill area. No roadways were closed during the incident.

MEDIA RELEASE

Firefighters are mopping up the Kealakekua fire as hazards and risks have been greatly reduced, Chief Darryl Oliveira reported today. Demobilization of Hawai‘i County firefighting crews on the scene is under way.

Secure fire breaks have been established and only a few smoldering hot spots remain. The hot spots are more than a quarter-mile inside the fire breaks and do not pose a threat at this time.

“Conditions at the Kealakekua fire have remained stable and unchanged for the past week,” said Chief Oliveira.

Three brush fires were ignited at approximately the 4,000-foot level above Mauka Kona in late December and County firefighters have been on the scene since December 27. Difficult terrain and remote locations have hampered efforts to put the fires out.

The fire at Yee Hop Ranch has been extinguished. A few remaining hot spots at the Hōkūkano Ranch fire are being monitored by property owners.

Firefighters from the U.S. Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife were released from duty on January 12 and 13 as the fires were brought under control. Chief Oliveira thanked each of agencies for their assistance. Outside government agencies provide firefighting services under a mutual aid agreement with the County.

County firefighters remain on the scene at Kealakekua Ranch while coordinating with the land owner to continue monitoring hot spots, Chief Oliveira said. Large logs could burn like “charcoal briquettes” for days before going cold, he said.

El Nino weather conditions across the island that cause a shift in the prevailing trade winds and drought have contributed to the fires and to increased levels of smoke drifting down slope into populated areas. Kona residents have reported far less discomfort recently as the amount of smoke being produced by the fires has significantly diminished.

Mayor Billy Kenoi praised the effort of firefighters. “Everyone involved in this multi-agency effort went well beyond the call of duty to fight this fire,” he said. “I really appreciate the hard work of crews from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Pohakuloa Training Area and state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and the land owners, who responded quickly and effectively to address the needs of our residents.

“This was a difficult undertaking. It’s not easy and it’s risky fighting a fire in remote, difficult-to-reach areas without much water. But the fire created difficult conditions for our residents in West Hawai‘i, too. We’re very sensitive to their needs, especially on quality of life issues. I’m proud of how our County firefighting crews responded to these fires with the welcome assistance of so many agencies from every level of government.

“Chief Oliveira and his entire department should be commended for their expertise and skills in quickly assessing the fire conditions and calling in all the right resources just when we needed them.”

Daily fire briefings on local radio stations will be discontinued unless a change in conditions occurs.