Firefighters douse Maui brush fire that prompted evacuations near site of deadly Lahaina blaze
Smoke rises in the hills above the Kaanapali resort hotel area of Lahaina, Hawaii on Saturday, August 26, 2023. AP
LAHAINA, Hawaii — A brush fire burned 10 acres (4 hectares) on Saturday and prompted Maui authorities to evacuate residents from a neighborhood of Lahaina, just a few miles from the site recently ravaged by blazes, before firefighters brought it under control.
Firefighters doused flames from above using a helicopter and with hoses on the ground, said John Heggie, a spokesperson for Maui County’s Joint Information Center.
Maui County said in an Instagram post that the fire no longer posed an active threat but firefighters were working in the area and evacuees should stay clear until it was safe to return.
The evacuation order covered a small number of homes in the hills above Kaanapali resort hotels. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were affected by the evacuation order.
At least 115 people were killed and 2,000 structures destroyed when a wildfire tore through downtown Lahaina on Aug. 8. Minimal rains have pushed the area into drought.
That fire was exacerbated by strong trade winds fueled in part by Hurricane Dora, which passed by 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the south of Maui.
The National Weather Service forecast breezes of 3 to 8 mph (4.8 to 12 kph) for Lahaina on Saturday afternoon.
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