By Star-Advertiser Staff
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The Holomua wildfire that burned about 400 acres, led to the evacuation of over 1,600 Paia residents, and has closed a school for three days was intentionally set, Maui Fire Department officials said today.
A MFD investigator found “two separate suspected areas of origin” for the fire that began Tuesday afternoon, according to a news release.
“Each area of origin is estimated at 20 feet by 20 feet, and the two locations are roughly 300 feet apart,” MFD officials said. “Both the suspected areas of origin were along the upper portion of Holomua Road, about a mile below the Baldwin Avenue intersection, in Paia. The investigator has classified the fire as ‘incendiary’.”
“A separate brush fire was reported in the same general vicinity the previous night. The close temporal and geographic proximity of these events suggests a potential link between the incidents and strengthens the hypothesis that the fires were intentionally set by the same person or under similar circumstances,” fire officials said.
They said the fire investigator was unable to find any witnesses and that no suspects have been identified.
The case has been shared with the Maui Police Department for further investigation, according to MFD. Anyone with information about the fire’s cause can contact MPD on its nonemergency line at (808) 244-6400, or email Fire.Investigation@mauicounty.gov.
The wildfire grew quickly Tuesday afternoon leading county officials to sound warning alarms and order mandatory evacuations of areas in and around Paia. The fire threatened, but did not damage, one home and burned about 380 acres as of this morning.
Maui firefighters today reported that the wildfire continues to be contained with no further progress overnight.
However Paia Elementary School will be closed Friday for the third day in a row in the wildfire’s aftermath, state Department of Education officials said.
“Although the campus did not sustain direct fire damage, cleaning and restoration are needed due to smoke and soot from Tuesday’s brushfire in Paia,” they said in a news release. “The closure allows facilities crews to complete this work and ensure a safe learning and working environment.”
