Firefighters extinguish Maui bushfire that prompted evacuations near site of fatal Lahaina blaze

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — A bushfire scorched 10 acres (4 hectares) on Saturday and prompted authorities in Maui to evacuate residents of a Lahaina neighborhood just a few miles from the site recently ravaged by the fires, before firefighters got it under control. .

Firefighters extinguished the flames from above using a helicopter and with hoses on the ground, said John Heggie, spokesman for the Maui County Joint Information Center.

Maui County said in an Instagram post that the fire no longer poses an active threat, but firefighters are working in the area and evacuees should stay away until it is possible to return safely.

The evacuation order was for a small number of homes in the hills above Kaanapali hotels. The number of people affected by the evacuation order was not immediately specified.

At least 115 people were killed and 2,000 structures destroyed when a wildfire ripped through downtown Lahaina on August 8. Minimal rains plunged the region into drought.

That fire was exacerbated by strong trade winds fueled in part by Hurricane Dora, which passed 800 kilometers south of Maui.

The National Weather Service forecast breezes of 3 to 8 mph (4.8 to 12 km/h) for Lahaina Saturday afternoon.