Hawaii, 2003

Wildfire in Hawaii, August 6, 2003

August 6, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An intentionally set fire burned 420 acres of sugar cane on the property of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company on the island of Maui. Smoke from the blaze forced the police to close a portion of Haleakala Highway from 1420 to 1800, causing a major traffic tie-up.

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
$1.2 million
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.

An intentionally set fire burned 420 acres of sugar cane on the property of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company on the island of Maui. Smoke from the blaze forced the police to close a portion of Haleakala Highway from 1420 to 1800, causing a major traffic tie-up. There were no reports of 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 Aug 6, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours 45 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST WED AUG 6 2003

SUMMARY...STRONGER TRADE WINDS WILL BE MOVING IN OVER THE ISLANDS
FROM THE EAST LATER TODAY AND ON THURSDAY. MOSTLY SUNNY AND DRY
WEATHER WILL PREVAIL.

DISCUSSION...A 1030 MB HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS NEARLY
STATIONARY CENTERED NEAR 42N 150W. THIS HIGH IS FORECASTED BY THE
AVN MODEL TO MOVE SOUTH SLOWLY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND STRENGTHEN
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND THEREFORE THE TRADE WINDS OVER THE
ISLANDS. WITH THE HIGH CENTER BEING LOCATED FAR TO THE NORTH AND
NORTH OF 40N AND UPPER LEVEL LOWS/TROUGHS BEING SITUATED TO THE
SOUTH OF THE HIGH NEAR THE ISLANDS...THE CONFIDENCE IN THE RAPID
STRENGTHENING OF THE TRADES BY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IS NOT THE
GREATEST. HOWEVER WILL CONTINUE THE TREND TOWARD STRONGER TRADES FOR
THE TIME BEING. THE SKILL OF THE MODELS IN PREDICTING THE EVOLUTIONS
OF THESE BLOCKING PATTERN IS NOT ALWAYS THE GREATEST.  ROSENDAL

.HFO...WARNINGS.....NONE
.      ADVISORIES...NONE
.      WATCHES......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, Maui

When
August 6, 1:45 PM HST to 6:30 PM HST
Where
Maui County, 2 mi E of Kahului
Crop damage
$1.2 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
20.868, -156.617 (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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, August 2003

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: 5327713.