Wildfire, Hawaii
- When
- February 21, 9:00 AM HST to 2:25 PM HST
- Where
- Hawaii County, Ookala
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Hawaii, February 21, 2001
A brush fire of unknown origin burned 20 acres in the North Hilo District of the island of Hawaii. No serious property damage or injuries were reported, but a resident noted that firefighters took a "brave stand" to save the Ookala gym by standing between the fire and the gym as the blaze approached to within 5 feet of the structure.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
A brush fire of unknown origin burned 20 acres in the North Hilo District of the island of Hawaii. No serious property damage or injuries were reported, but a resident noted that firefighters took a "brave stand" to save the Ookala gym by standing between the fire and the gym as the blaze approached to within 5 feet of the structure.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 21, 3:25 AM HST, 5 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 3:25 AM HST, 5 hours 35 minutes before
AFDHI HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 4 AM HST WED FEB 21 2001 SUMMARY...PATCHY CLOUDS CONTINUE TO COVER OUR SKIES AT TIMES AGAIN TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE CLOUDS CONTAIN SHOWERS...AND THESE MAY AFFECT THE ISLANDS FROM TIME TO TIME. THE EASTERLY TRADE WINDS ARE GRADUALLY GIVING WAY TO A LIGHT WIND REGIME...WITH AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES BECOMING MORE PREDOMINANT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK AND INTO THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD. SOME AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE CLOUD AND SHOWERS MAY ALSO RESULT. DISCUSSION...A GRADUAL VEERING OF THE WIND TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST IS CONTINUING...AND THIS ALONG WITH THE PROXIMITY OF THE SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH OF KAUAI...WILL INTERRUPT OUR TRADE WINDS AND ALLOW THE ISLANDS TO FALL UNDER MAINLY A LAND AND SEA BREEZE REGIME. THIS WILL ALSO PLACE THE ISLANDS WITHIN THE EDDY-FILLED CONVERGENT BIG ISLAND PLUME OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AND THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE ISLANDS...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THE RIDGE WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO KAUAI...PUSHED DOWN BY A FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. ALL MODELS ARE CONVERGING ON A SOLUTION OF DEVELOPING A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON THIS FRONT JUST NORTHWEST OF KAUAI OVER THE WEEKEND...AND THIS SHOULD KEEP THE ISLANDS IN THE WEAK SOUTH OR SOUTHEASTERLY WIND FLOW THROUGH MONDAY...ALONG WITH INCREASING CHANCES FOR SOME AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND INTERIOR SECTIONS OF ALL ISLANDS. STABILITY INDICES REMAIN RATHER MEEK HOWEVER... SO ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL NOT BE EXCESSIVE. WOULD LOOK FOR A RETURN TO TRADE sWIND CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY AT THE EARLIEST. FARRELL .PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTHWEST FACING SHORES
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Rip Current in Guam, February 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, February 21, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, February 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, February 21, 2001
- Ice Storm in Missouri, February 21, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, February 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, February 21, 2001
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, February 21 to 22, 2001
- Winter Storm in Illinois, February 21 to 22, 2001
- Winter Storm in Missouri, February 21, 2001
- Ice Storm in Missouri, February 21, 2001
- Extreme Cold in Maine, February 21 to 22, 2001
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2001
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5232964.