HomeMy WebLinkAboutNR070717Policeinvestigaterecentbrushfires
C O U NT Y O F KAU A‘I
BERNARD P. CARVALHO JR.
Mayor
WALLACE G. REZENTES JR.
Managing Director
KAUA‘I POLICE DEPARTMENT
News Release
For Immediate Release: July 7, 2017
DARRYL PERRY, CHIEF
Tel (808) 241-1600
Fax (808) 241-1604
Police investigate recent brush fires
Kaua‘i police and fire officials are investigating a string of brush fires that occurred this
week, and are reminding residents to be vigilant about fire safety.
“The proximity and frequency of these fires are a cause for concern,” said Fire Chief
Robert Westerman. “While we are very fortunate that there were no injuries, we continue to
remind the public that brush fires can escalate very quickly and it’s important to remember basic
fire safety tips.”
At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, firefighters were dispatched to the northern end
of the Ke Ala Hele Makalae multi-use path, where they found grass burning in a ravine below
the Keālia Kai estate.
Due to the location of the fire and limited ground access, Air 1 assisted with water drops
and the fire was under control shortly after 7:30 p.m. Firefighters extinguished hot spots until
approximately 9:45 p.m., but returned to the same location Wednesday morning to respond to a
flare-up. Less than 1 acre of brush was burned, and no injuries or damage to structures were
reported.
Around 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, firefighters from the Kapa‘a fire station were dispatched
to Anahola Beach where approximately 20-feet by 20-feet of grass and driftwood were in
flames. The fire was deemed under control at 8:30 p.m.
It was also reported earlier this week, that firefighters extinguished a 30-acre brush fire
that broke out below Pilipoli Road in Anahola on Monday evening. No injuries or damage to
structures were reported with these fires. However, a large pile of abandoned waste, such as
derelict vehicles and tires, continued to smolder through the night, causing a disruption to
nearby residents.
The initial cause of the Anahola and Keālia fires remain under investigation.
“These incidents are not being taken lightly,” stated Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry.
“We strongly advise the public to be watchful of suspicious activity and to call police immediately
with any leads before this threat increases.”
Anyone with information on these incidents is urged to contact Police Dispatch at 241-
1711 or Det. David Banquel at 241-1680. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call
CrimeStoppers at 246-3800.
CrimeStoppers is a valuable program that solicits information from anonymous tipsters
during investigations by offering cash rewards, which are funded solely by community
donations. When calling CrimeStoppers, tipsters are required to remain anonymous and phone
numbers are untraceable. Callers are given a tracking tip number, to help identify them and the
related incident. They are then advised to call back to check the status of the tip that was given.
If the information received from the caller was valid and an arrest was made, the caller may then
be eligible to receive a reward.
For tips on how to protect your home and property from fire, please visit the National Fire
Protection Association website at www.nfpa.org/public-education.
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