Dozens of county, state, and federal firefighters continue to battle a large wildfire that’s torched thousands of acres in a remote area near the boundary line of North Kona and South Kohala.
No homes or structures were threatened as of press-time Thursday by the fire, which quickly grew from a flare-up Wednesday of an old blaze within the western portion of the U.S. Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area. According to officials, the fire had been smoldering in the area for several weeks, and high winds amid a red flag warning on Wednesday whipped up the flames. The winds, estimated around 30 mph, fanned the fire to 700 acres by Wednesday night and to 10,000 acres by mid-day Thursday, after entering state lands outside the military installation. The flames, which firefighters said topped 40 feet, were visible throughout the night from areas across South Kohala.