Hawaii, 2002

Wildfire in Hawaii, July 12 to 14, 2002

July 12 to 14, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A brushfire seared 35 acres just east of Pacific Palisades in south central Oahu, along the Manana Trail. The Honolulu Fire Department's Air 1 helicopter, joined by two Army UH-60 Blackhawks, dropped water on the blaze.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 brushfire seared 35 acres just east of Pacific Palisades in south central Oahu, along the Manana Trail. The Honolulu Fire Department's Air 1 helicopter, joined by two Army UH-60 Blackhawks, dropped water on the blaze. No homes were threatened by the fire, and there were no serious injuries.

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 Jul 12, 4:00 PM HST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 4:00 PM HST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 PM HST FRI JUL 12 2002

SUMMARY...PLEASANT TRADE WIND WEATHER IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. HIGH
PRESSURE NORTH OF HAWAII WILL KEEP THE TRADES AT 10 TO 20 MPH. A
STABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL LIMIT THE NUMBER AND INTENSITY OF SHOWERS.

DISCUSSION...A SHEARLINE LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES NORTH OF KAUAI HAS
WEAKENED THE PRESSURE GRADIENT. THE TRADES HAVE DIMINISHED TO 10 TO
20 MPH DUE TO THE FLATTER GRADIENT. THE SHEARLINE WILL DISSIPATE AND
THE SURFACE HIGH FAR TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST WILL MOVE CLOSER TO THE
ISLANDS NEXT WEEK. THE TRADES WILL INCREASE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
THE ATMOSPHERE IS STABLE WITH THE SUBSIDENCE INVERSION AT A STRONG 5
DEGREES CENTIGRADE...AND AT A LOW 5000 FEET. THE ABUNDANCE OF FLAT
STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS AND THE PAUCITY OF SHOWER-BEARING CUMULUS
CLOUDS REFLECTS THE STABLE AIRMASS. CRAIG.

.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, Honolulu

When
July 12, 5:45 PM HST to July 14, 10:00 AM HST
Where
Honolulu County, 2 mi E of Pacific Palisades
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (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, July 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: 5304193.