(BIVN) – A group of good samaritans managed to contain a small brush fire on the makai side of Highway 19 in South Kohala on Sunday.
The roughly 25 people doused the blaze “using water bottles, soda, beer and extinguishers” just after 5:35 p.m., the fire department said.
The 200′ x 30′ wide brush fire was burning in grasslands with kiawe trees, the fire department said, and could have become a big problem.
“Had the good samaritans not contained the fire prior to HFD units arriving, this could have easily been a run away brush fire with the very strong winds, that would have burned towards Wailea and Puako areas,” a fire department release stated.
The winds were blowing a 25 to 40 mph yesterday. There was a Wind Advisory in effect.
Hawaii County Fire units wet down and foamed the area on arrival.
by Big Island Video News
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STORY SUMMARY
SOUTH KOHALA, Hawaii - With the very strong winds, firefighters say it could have easily been a run away brush fire that would have burned towards Wailea and Puako areas.