Wildfire in Hawaii, July 24 to 26, 2002

Name: Wildfire in Hawaii, July 24 to 26, 2002
Start: 2002-07-24T08:20
End: 2002-07-26T07:00
Location: Hawaii

July 24 to 26, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A grass fire burned more than 1500 acres in the western part of Oahu, near the end of Waianae Valley Road. Four helicopters, including two Army UH-60 Blackhawks, dropped water on the blaze to help contain it.

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.

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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 grass fire burned more than 1500 acres in the western part of Oahu, near the end of Waianae Valley Road. How the fire started was not known, but fire officials believed it was intentionally set.Four helicopters, including two Army UH-60 Blackhawks, dropped water on the blaze to help contain it. A new school and some farm lots, along with rare native plants, were threatened by the fire but sustained no damage. Also, there were no serious injuries reported.

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 24, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours 20 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 AM HST WED JUL 24 2002

SUMMARY...MOSTLY SUNNY DAYS AND CLEAR NIGHTS WILL PREVAIL...WITH
ONLY A FEW SHOWERS RIDING IN ON THE TRADE WINDS. HIGH PRESSURE TO
THE NORTH WILL KEEP THE TRADES AT 10 TO 25 MPH.

DISCUSSION...NOT MUCH GOING ON. THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE NORTH OF HERE
IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE...NOR IS IT GOING TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY IN
STRENGTH. MODERATE TRADES SHOULD THEREFORE STAY AROUND FOR QUITE A
WHILE. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HIGH OVER THE STATE IS NOT EXPECTED TO
HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE TRADE SHOWERS PASSING BELOW. IT IS WAY TOO
EARLY TO TELL WHERE THE REMNANTS OF DOUGLAS WILL GO. WE SHOULD HAVE
A HANDLE ON THIS IN SEVERAL DAYS THOUGH. 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 24, 8:20 AM HST to July 26, 7:00 AM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 4 mi ENE of Waianae
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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5304194.