Evacuations lifted, roads reopen as wildfire heads away from Waikoloa Village

News admin July 11, 2026 0 Comments

Evacuations lifted, roads reopen as wildfire heads away from Waikoloa Village

SOUTH KOHALA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Limited evacuations were lifted in Waikoloa Village Friday night after a wildfire headed away from populated areas, officials said.

At 9 p.m. Hawaii Fire Department’s temporary fire chief said the fire was 50-percent contained and 15 personnel will continue to battle the blaze overnight. The fire is no longer considered a threat, officials said.

The fire was first reported at around 4:20 p.m. on the south side of Waikoloa Road. The Hawaii Fire Department and volunteer firefighters responded with helicopters, engines, a tanker and brush trucks.

At around 5:45 p.m., officials said Buildings 4 and 5 of the Lofts were evacuated out of caution, and a shelter opened at Waikoloa Elementary School cafeteria.

Longtime resident Earl Betts said, “You can see there’s a clear fire line, and there’s a burn-affected area down by Paniolo by the post office, and it looks like it wraps behind the new shopping center.”

At 6:30 p.m., the county said the fire involved about 200 acres, and south-to-southwest winds were blowing it away from the village.

On Saturday, around 7:50 a.m., the Hawaii County Civil Defense reported that all roads near Waikoloa Village are now open. Drivers are asked to exercise caution while going through the area.

The county lifted the evacuation order at 7:15 p.m. No buildings or infrastructure had burned.

“The aggressive response by firefighters helped to quickly limit the hazard, but we’re urging residents to pay attention for any additional alerts if conditions change,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda.

Waikoloa Road will remain closed overnight from Paniolo to Highway 190, and the public is asked to avoid the area.

“If you encounter emergency responders or road crews, please allow them space to operate safely and expect some traffic congestion,” Alameda said.

Residents say Friday’s closure highlights the need for alternate routes in the area, especially during an emergency.

“They worked with local private property owners to open up the route, a second route, fire route for residents to use. It hasn’t been utilized yet,” said Waimea resident Naka Nathaniel.

“It’s a close call, but it’s an area that just everybody has been watching and people have been talking about this for a while now,” he added. “How can we safely have people living in this area that’s just under such a stark risk?”

“Every couple of years, we have the same thing where there’s some wildfire driven by wind and you start packing things up and trying to figure out if we can get out of it,” Betts said. “Real good reason for a second road in and out of Waikoloa.”