A brushfire, fanned by windy conditions, charred nearly 20 acres in North Kohala and forced crews to temporarily close Kohala Mountain Road, authorities said.

The fire at the telephone exchange on Kohala Mountain Road began at 11:20 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. Construction workers welding in the area may have accidently sparked the blaze, firefighters said.

The road was reopened at 4:45 p.m., although crews remained on scene overnight with tankers and bulldozers to monitor the fire and put out hotspots.

Parker Ranch owns the land.