Wildfire in Hawaii, February 17 to 21, 2007

Name: Wildfire in Hawaii, February 17 to 21, 2007
Start: 2007-02-17T11:48
End: 2007-02-21T22:00
Location: Hawaii

February 17 to 21, 2007 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Dry weather conditions in two locations helped sustain fires that burned more than 1000 acres in each case.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 2

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.

Dry weather conditions in two locations helped sustain fires that burned more than 1000 acres in each case.

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 Feb 17, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 17, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST SAT FEB 17 2007

.SYNOPSIS...
A LARGE HIGH NORTHEAST OF HAWAII WILL GENERATE MODERATE TO BRISK
TRADE WINDS THROUGH SUNDAY. SOME OF THE WINDWARD AND MAUKA SHOWERS
TRAVELLING IN ON THE TRADES WILL BE BLOWN OVER TO LEE SECTIONS OF
THE SMALLER ISLANDS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A HIGH TO THE NORTHEAST WILL BE BIG ENOUGH TO PUSH MODERATE TO BRISK
TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE STATE THIS WEEKEND. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST
IN AND AROUND KAWAIHAE...THROUGH THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF MAUI...AND
ON TOP OF HALEAKALA. VARIOUS ISLAND CORNERS SUCH AS UPOLU AND SOUTH
POINT ON THE BIG ISLAND...AND KAHUKU AND KOKO HEAD ON OAHU WILL ALSO
SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS.

THE HIGH WILL WEAKEN MONDAY RESULTING IN A SMALL DECREASE IN WIND
SPEED. A SECOND NOT SO BIG HIGH FORECAST TO MOVE NORTH OF THE STATE
TUESDAY SHOULD BOOST THE WINDS BACK INTO THE MODERATE TO BRISK
RANGE. THIS HIGH IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AND MOVE TO THE EAST...WITH
OUR WINDS DROPPING OFF BY THURSDAY.

WINDS ON TOP OF HALEAKALA HAVE LOWERED BELOW 30 MPH...BUT THE WIND
ADVISORY WILL BE KEPT IN PLACE IN ANTICIPATION THAT THE WINDS WILL
INCREASE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON.

LAST NIGHTS FREEZING RAIN AT THE MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA SUMMITS HAS
ENDED...AND SKIES HAVE CLEARED. THE MAUNA KEA ACCESS ROAD REMAINS
CLOSED HOWEVER DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS. WILL WAIT UNTIL 12 NOON TO
CANCEL THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...ALLOWING SOME TIME FOR THE SUN
TO MELT THE ICE.

&&

.MARINE...
THE CURRENT NORTHWEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY LOWER. SURF
ALONG WEST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL...HOWEVER...LIKELY
REMAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO REQUIRE AN ADVISORY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CANCEL THE ADVISORY AT OR AROUND 4 PM.

THE STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL PRODUCE ROUGH SURF ALONG EAST FACING
SHORES THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MAY BE
REQUIRED FOR EAST FACING SHORES SHOULD HEIGHTS REACH 8 FEET.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BIG ISLAND SUMMITS UNTIL NOON.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR WEST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON.
WIND ADVISORY FOR HALEAKALA SUMMIT THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS.

&&

CRAIG

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Kohala

When: February 17, 11:48 AM HST to February 18, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A fire scorched 1500 acres of mainly brush in an area 6 miles south/southeast of Waikoloa on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii. Mamalahoa Highway was closed for a few hours by the fire, as was one lane of Waikoloa Road, south of Kamuela. Traffic became snarled under the circumstances. The cause of the blaze was unknown. No homes were evacuated, and no structures were threatened. There were no significant injuries.|

Wildfire, Maui Leeward West

When: February 19, 11:52 AM HST to February 21, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Seven people had to be evacuated when a brush fire moved closed to their homes about two-and-a-half miles east/southeast of Lahaina in West Maui. The fire eventually blackened 1350 acres, and destroyed one small structure and several vehicles. Damage estimates were not available. There were no significant injuries. The cause of the fire was under investigation, though fire officials believed it was intentionally set.|

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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 2007

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: 12519, 12520.