Fire in Maui Grows to 500 Acres, Prompting Evacuations

A brushfire in Maui, Hawaii, rapidly grew from a quarter-acre to 500 acres on Sunday, the authorities said.

The blaze, known as the Kahikinui fire, was reported at 10 a.m. local time, 4 p.m. Eastern, in a sparsely populated area in southern Maui. It grew to 20, then 200 acres. By 7 p.m. local time it was reported to be 500 acres, according to the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety.

The containment level of the fire was unknown, the authorities said. There were no reports of injuries or structural damage, but about 100 homes were evacuated.

Mayor Richard Bissen of Maui County signed an emergency proclamation on Sunday evening, allowing the county to take advantage of federal assistance programs. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, signed a proclamation authorizing the activation of the Hawaii National Guard.

Maui was devastated by fire in August 2023, which killed about 100 people, making it the deadliest American wildfire in a century. The cause of that fire was a power line that snapped and ignited dry grass beneath it. That fire destroyed most of Lahaina, in the island’s northwest.