Maui firefighters have fully contained two wildfires that started last week and burned a total of about 9,200 acres, county officials said Monday. “Words cannot express how relieved I am that there were no injuries or major property damage from what were dangerous, fast-moving fires that required evacuations and road closures,” Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino said Monday in a news release. Firefighters will continue to monitor areas to extinguish any hot spots and officials urged the public to avoid affected areas due to hazards. The wildfire in Central Maui broke out at about 10:40 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Kuihelani Highway and Waiko Road.
Winds fanned the flames quickly toward the south and east, which caused road closures and the temporary evacuations of thousands of residents and tourists in Maalaea and North Kihei.