South Kohala wildfire contained, evacuation lifted and roads reopened
South Kohala roads reopened after a Kawaihae Road fire burned about 680 acres and forced an evacuation alert for Kawaihae Village Subdivision.
Hawaii County Civil Defense reopened Kawaihae Road and lifted the evacuation order for Kawaihae Village Subdivision after the South Kohala wildfire was brought under control, clearing the main access route for Kawaihae and nearby North and South Kohala traffic. County emergency officials said the fire had burned about 680 acres by the Sunday update.
The blaze was first reported around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and Civil Defense issued an evacuation alert around 7:45 p.m. for the subdivision mauka of the intersection of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Kawaihae Road. Shortly before 5:40 p.m. Sunday, Civil Defense said the fire was under control and reopened Kawaihae Road, while a county news release said Queen Kaahumanu Highway was also reopened.
Big Island Video News reported the fire was about 50% contained Sunday morning, and said the burn was on the south side of Kawaihae Road. A wildfire mapping site listed the fire at about 700 acres, a slight difference from the county’s 680-acre estimate. The county’s update and the map together showed how quickly the fire spread across open ground near one of West Hawaii’s most important road corridors.
The closures mattered because Kawaihae Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway are the main links for workers, deliveries and emergency response in the Kawaihae area. When those routes close, drivers bound for Kawaihae Harbor, local businesses and homes in the Kawaihae Village area can face long detours or delayed access. The evacuation alert also underscored how vulnerable subdivisions near dry fuel and wind-prone ridgelines can be when a roadside fire moves fast.
County wildfire protection planning materials identify Kawaihae Village as being mauka of the highway and road intersection, which helps explain why a fire near that junction can threaten both homes and traffic flow at the same time. The weekend response left the most urgent danger behind, but it also put the county’s road dependence and evacuation timing on display for residents who rely on that corridor every day.
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