Hilina Pali wildfire 70% contained; some road closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

By KITV Web Staff

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    HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (KITV) — A five-acre wildfire in a remote area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is 70% contained, according to the National Park Service.

Due to firefighting efforts, Hilina Pali Road is temporarily closed past Kulanaokuaiki Campground to the Hilina Pali Lookout.

The fire was spotted Tuesday, December 20 around 9:50 a.m. below the Hilina Pali Lookout.

Lightning from the recent storm sparked the fire — “a rare occurrence in the park and throughout Hawaiʻi, as most wildfires in Hawaiʻi are caused by humans,” the National Park Service says.

A 15-person National Park Service wildland firefighting team, assisted by a helicopter, continued to douse flames and mop up Thursday in steep, rocky terrain below the Hilina Pali Lookout. The burn area contains remnant dryland ‘ōhiʻa trees and native shrubs but is otherwise dominated by alien grasses that can promote fire spread and increase fire severity, exacerbating the loss of native species in the area.

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