By Hawaii 24/7 Staff

Firefighters responded to a 5:17 a.m. alarm Thursday (Sept 21) to the Waikapuna Bay area of Ka‘u for a brushfire.

The remote area and limited four-wheel-drive roads made access difficult for firefighters who arrived to find about five acres of grass and brush burning. Bulldozers cut fire breaks as the Fire Department’s Choppers One and Two were able to perform water drops slowing the spread of the brushfire which was fanned by strong trade winds during the day.

Firefighting vehicles did not have access to most of the brushfire area due to terrain. The fire slowed its spread at night and as of 6 p.m. Thursday the total area burned was 840 acres.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense issued an air quality and visibility advisory to area people downwind of the fire affected by the smoke. The cause of the blaze is undetermined.