Hawaii, 2002

Wildfire in Hawaii, September 13, 2002

September 13, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A brush fire scorched more than 50 acres near Iroquois Point Road, with the flames moving quickly toward new homes in the Ewa-by-Gentry subdivision. However, the fire did not cause any major property damage or injuries.

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 more than 50 acres near Iroquois Point Road, with the flames moving quickly toward new homes in the Ewa-by-Gentry subdivision. However, the fire did not cause any major property damage or injuries. Fire investigators believed that the blaze was intentionally set.

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 Sep 13, 10:00 AM HST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 10:00 AM HST, 15 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST FRI SEP 13 2002

SUMMARY...PLEASANT TRADE WIND WEATHER IS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...THE ONE EXCEPTION BEING A WET WINDWARD SIDE OF THE BIG
ISLAND. THE TRADES WILL BE STRONGER THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF NEXT
WEEK...BUT WILL LIGHTEN UP THEREAFTER.

DISCUSSION...THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK. SATELLITE SHOWS THAT THE
SMALLER ISLANDS WILL SEE A LOT OF SUNSHINE WITH ONLY A FEW SHOWERS
EXPECTED TODAY. SHOWERS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING WHEN A BAND OF CUMULUS CLOUDS PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. THE
WINDWARD SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL CATCH THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF A
SHOWER AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND
WILL FOLLOW THE USUAL DIURNAL LAND AND SEA BREEZE REGIME.

MID-LATITUDE FLOW WILL BE PROGRESSIVE...I.E...FROM WEST TO EAST FOR
THE NEXT 10 DAYS. THE STRENGTH OF THE TRADE WINDS WILL DEPEND ON
WHETHER A HIGH OR A LOW AND TROUGH IS PASSING BY TO THE NORTH. IF IT
IS A HIGH...WITH EVERYTHING ELSE BEING EQUAL...THE TRADES WILL BE
STRONGER THAN NORMAL. IF IT IS A LOW OR TROUGH...THE TRADES WILL BE
WEAKER THAN NORMAL. ONE CAN THEREFORE INFER FROM THE FORECAST WINDS
WHAT SORT OF SYSTEM IS NORTH OF HERE. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL
REDUCE THE SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE TO THE
NORTH. THE MARINE LAYER WILL IN TURN STAY AT A SOMEWHAT DEEP 8
THOUSAND FEET...AND THE TRADE SHOWERS WILL ON OCCASION BE HEAVY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WITH THE HIGH PASSING NORTH OF HERE SUNDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY...THE SUBSIDENCE WILL STRENGTHEN...THE MARINE LAYER
WILL LOWER AND THE SHOWERS WILL LIGHTEN UP. 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
September 13, 10:15 AM HST to 1:15 PM HST
Where
Honolulu County, 2 mi SE of Ewa
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, September 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: 5324937.