Hawaii, 2002

Wildfire in Hawaii, May 17 to 31, 2002

May 17 to 31, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A wildfire begun by lava near Pulama Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park burned more than 3000 acres through the end of May. Firefighting crews from the mainland, Arizona and California, were brought in to help douse 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

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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 wildfire begun by lava near Pulama Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park burned more than 3000 acres through the end of May. Firefighting crews from the mainland, Arizona and California, were brought in to help douse the blaze. The fire was threatening native plants and wildlife, but burned far from any populated areas or structures. The fire has been difficult to bring under control because it has a continuous ignition source, that is the lava.

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 May 17, 4:59 AM HST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 4:59 AM HST, 2 hours 1 minute before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

A WEAKENING COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING WAKE FROM THE NORTH THIS
MORNING.  THIS IS INDUCING SURFACE WINDS TO FLOW FROM THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHWEST NEAR 10 KT.  HOWEVER...AS THE BOUNDARY GETS CLOSER AND
GRADUALLY DISSIPATES THROUGH SATURDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND
VARIABLE.  SKIES WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY FOR THE MOST PART...BUT
OCCASIONAL LOW CEILINGS WITH ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE NOT OUT OF
THE QUESTION FOR LATER SATURDAY MORNING INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BECOMES A SHEAR LINE NEAR WAKE ISLAND.  NO
SIGNIFICANT SWELL IS EXPECTED.

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
May 17, 7:00 AM HST to May 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, 9 mi SSE of Volcano
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, May 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: 5287878.