Photos special to Hawaii 24/7 by Jock Goodman | www.JocksHotShots.com

Police and fire officials are urging drivers to avoid Kawaihae Road, Route 19 until at least 7 p.m. due to a brush fire.

The brush fire is near the 62 mile marker on Kawaihae Road. Only one lane is opened to traffic.

South Kohala Police are assisting fire crews in having residents of Anekona, Kanehoa and Ouli Ekahi subdivisions evacuate or prepare for possible evacuation.

A witness tells Hawaii 24/7:

Several homes were threatened and all residents of those three subdivisions on the south side of Kawaihae were evacuated.

Waimea fire fighters were joined by the Army and a helicopter was dropping buckets on it.

It was very windy blowing toward Waikoloa Village several miles away.

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UPDATE, 9:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5.

The fire prompted the voluntarily evacuation of about 30 homes in the Kanehoa subdivision, as it scorched about 130 acres.

The fire is reported under control. No homes currently are threatened, although at least two structures may have been damaged.

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UPDATED, 8:35 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6

FIRE DEPT MEDIA RELEASE

Fire/rescue crews responded to a 12:29 p.m. alarm Friday (Nov 5) for a runaway brushfire at Ouli Street in the Kanehoa Subdivision.

Upon arrival crews found a fast moving five acre fire close to several homes in very dry and windy conditions. Helicopters, ground crews including a bulldozer and tanker trucks were utilized in the blaze.

Residents evacuated several homes threatened by the fire. The fire spread to 130 acres. Two small and one large storage shed were burned and fire crews worked throughout the night to contain the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.