Fire/rescue crews responded to a 3:46 p.m. alarm Tuesday (July 21) for a brushfire between Punalu‘u boat ramp access road and Ninole Loop in Pahala on property owned by Sea Mountain Resorts.

Heavy smoke and flames, fanned by 20 mph winds, forced closure of the road fronting the fire scene as firefighters worked to keep the blaze contained between the two roads. County and volunteer firefighters fought the fire on rocky, uneven terrain covered with mature brush. The fire was approximately 200 feet from the nearest structure on Ninole Loop.

Crews spent Tuesday night on scene extinguishing flare-ups and Wednesday used firefighting foam on the burn area to extinguish numerous hotspots. By 3 p.m. Wednesday (July 22) the brushfire was declared completely extinguished. The burned area was approximately five acres

The cause of the fire is under investigation.