Brush fire starts in Hawaii's Makua Valley

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Picture of wildfire in Makua Valley taken from Farrington Highway
Image: Drew Smith.

A wildfire rages along the mountainside of Makua Valley near Kaeana Point, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Honolulu firefighters were called in at 2 pm yesterday (local time). A Wikinews contributor was on the scene with a camera.

Local and federal firefighters responded to the fire with trucks and helicopters. The website of a local TV news service reported this morning that 100 acres (40 hectares) had burned, but that no buildings were under threat.

Wikinews does not know how the fire started. The beach across the street is a popular camping area, so a campfire or cigarette may have set the mountainside ablaze.

Makua Valley (21.531° N 158.225° W) is on the north western corner of Oahu, about 40 miles (65 km) by road from Honolulu, Hawaii's capital. The United States Army purchased three tracts of land for Howitzer emplacements in the 1920s, and has used Makua Valley as a live fire training range ever since (with some interruptions due to legal challenges.)

Sources

 
Wikinews
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
 
Wikinews
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.