A fast-moving brush fire on the island of Kauai has triggered evacuations on the west side of the island.
The fire broke out before noon on Monday and has burned approximately 1,000 acres, officials said. A structure that appeared to be a shed in the Kaumakani Camp had been destroyed, but no injuries had yet been reported, the Kauai Fire Department said.
The fire was 100% contained by midnight local time, the fire department said. An evacuation order for residents in Kaumakani was lifted.
A photo taken by Seth Womble from the Big Save Market in Eleele, Kauai, shows a helicopter fighting a wildfire on the island on July 15, 2024.
Seth Womble
The fire was burning near the island’s southwestern coast, between the towns of Kaumakani and Hanapepe, officials said. By early evening, the fire was about 60% contained.
“Air assets have been suspended due to nightfall and will resume Tuesday morning,” the department said at the time. “Ground crews will continue to fight the fires through the night.”
Seth Womble and his wife, Meg, told ABC News they had evacuated their home in Hanapepe Heights on Monday afternoon. They have since returned, he said.
“We are home now and grateful that our neighborhood is in good shape,” Womble said. “It was very close.”
Multiple structures were being threatened, officials said, adding that power lines in the area had been de-energized. The power was turned off for about 1,100 customers in the area, fire officials said.
Sections of Kaumuali‘i Highway had been closed to traffic on Monday afternoon, but one lane was opened in the early evening for alternating traffic, officials said.
Paulette Morrissey Peterson, who lives in Hanapepe, told ABC News: “We’ve not returned yet, the fire is still smoldering, it’s still fairly windy so we took our packed cars, three kids and dog, and left until the smoke clears.”
“Hopefully, the wind doesn’t shift,” Peterson said.
ABC News’ Erica B. Morris contributed to this report.