Hawaii, 2002

Wildfire in Hawaii, August 23 to 24, 2002

August 23 to 24, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A brush fire scorched 60 acres above Honuapo Lookout on the 23rd and 24th of August. The fire forced the closure of an eight-mile stretch of Highway 11 just northeast of Naalehu for three hours in the afternoon on the 23rd.

Where it happened

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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 scorched 60 acres above Honuapo Lookout on the 23rd and 24th of August. The fire forced the closure of an eight-mile stretch of Highway 11 just northeast of Naalehu for three hours in the afternoon on the 23rd. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage. Fire officials believed that the fire was deliberately set and were looking for those responsible.

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 Aug 23, 12:42 PM HST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 12:42 PM HST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST FRI AUG 23 2002

SUMMARY...A MODERATELY STRONG SUBTROPICAL HIGH FAR OFF TO OUR
NORTHEAST WILL KEEP TRADES THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. CONSIDERABLE
MOISTURE EXTENDS TO THE EAST OF MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND...AND THIS
WILL PROMOTE TRADE WIND CLOUDS AND SHOWERS OVER MAINLY WINDWARD AND
MAUKA SECTIONS OF ALL ISLANDS...MAINLY NIGHTS AND MORNINGS THROUGH
THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK.

DISCUSSION...WITH THE MAIN SUBTROPICAL HIGH FAR OFF TO OUR
NORTHEAST...NEAR 35N 135W...THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WEAKENS TO OUR
NORTH AND NORTHWEST. THIS HIGH AND RIDGE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO
REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT 10 TO 20 MPH TRADE WINDS THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD HOWEVER. MOISTURE IS INCREASING TO OUR EAST...
AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO BRING SOME TRADE SHOWERS INTO WINDWARD
MAUKA SECTIONS OF THE ISLANDS THIS AFTERNOON. TRADE SHOWERS WILL
CONTINUE THOUGH MAINLY WINDWARD AND MAUKA AND MAINLY NIGHTS AND
MORNINGS RIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION 1-C CONTINUES TO CHURN SOUTHEAST OF THE
ISLANDS. THIS SYSTEM IS STILL SHOWING STRONG SIGNS OF LIFE...WITH
NEW CONVECTION CONTINUING IN AND TO THE SOUTH ALONG A CONVECTIVE
BAND AT THIS TIME. THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TOWARD THE
WEST. SEE CURRENT TROPICAL DEPRESSION ADVISORY WTPA21 PHFO/TCMCP1
FOR DETAILS. HURRICANE FAUSTO CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN FAR TO OUR
EAST. THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE WESTWARD...WEAKENING AS IT
APPROACHES 140W OR THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...AND MAY AFFECT THE ISLANDS
WITH SOME DISTURBED WEATHER LATE NEXT WEEK. SEE HURRICANE FAUSTO
BULLETIN WTPZ43 KNHC 231432/TCDEP3 FOR DETAILS. FARRELL

.HFO...WARNINGS...WATCHES...ADVISORIES...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Hawaii

When
August 23, 1:45 PM HST to August 24, 6:00 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 2 mi NE of Naalehu
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, August 2002

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: 5324932.