Maui firefighters made a lot of headway in containing those massive wildfires that started on Thursday and Friday. On late Saturday afternoon, the Maui Fire Department said the 9,000-acre wildfire that started on Thursday is now about 80 percent under control, and firefighters continue working on putting out hot spots, especially on perimeter areas.
The second fire, which was first reported at 1:30 p.m. on Friday in the vicinity of the new Safeway and Lowe’s in Kahului, is 90 percent contained. It has burned 200-acres.
On Saturday, residents and visitors may have seen smoke in the Puunene area. That was Maui firefighters working to “burn out” unburned fuel around the Pu'unene fire to keep it from spreading outside a perimeter area.
The department’s Air One and Two helicopters began making air drops of water after sunrise and were expected to continue working until sunset Saturday.