Wildfire, Kohala
- When
- May 22, 10:25 AM HST to May 23, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kohala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Hawaii, May 22 to 23, 2010
A brush fire scorched around 300 acres of dry grass and kiawe on the lee side of the Big Island of Hawaii, several miles south of the Lapakahi State Historical Park in the North Kohala District. No one was injured in the blaze, no homes were threatened, and there were no evacuations.
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
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 around 300 acres of dry grass and kiawe on the lee side of the Big Island of Hawaii, several miles south of the Lapakahi State Historical Park in the North Kohala District. No one was injured in the blaze, no homes were threatened, and there were no evacuations. Property damage estimates were not available. The cause of the fire was under investigation, though initial reports suggested that exhaust from a compressor may have been responsible.
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 22, 10:00 AM HST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 10:00 AM HST, 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 1000 AM HST SAT MAY 22 2010 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE NORTHEAST OF THE STATE WILL PRODUCE MODERATE TO BRISK TRADE WINDS INTO THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. THE TRADES WILL USHER IN SHOWER-BEARING CLOUDS TO WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS TO THE ISLANDS. && .DISCUSSION... THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST LOGIC THIS MORNING...SO WILL STICK WITH THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION. THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF RAPID FIRE GROWTH THIS AFTERNOON...SO PLEASE READ THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MODEL AGREEMENT REMAINS GOOD WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS BEING THE DOMINATE WEATHER FEATURE FOR MOST OF THE WEEK. THERE IS ALSO GOOD AGREEMENT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS...MAINLY OVER THE BIG ISLAND...SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM AT THE SURFACE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING TRADES TO THE ISLAND FOR THE FORECAST PERIOD...AND WILL KEEP MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY TO THE WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS. THE AIRMASS OVER AND UPSTREAM OF THE ISLANDS REMAINS ON THE DRY SIDE...SO RAINFALL VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. THAT BEING SAID...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL LIKELY HELP TO RAISE THE INVERSION LEVELS AROUND THE ISLANDS...WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN SHOWERS. STILL NOT SEEING ENOUGH INSTABILITY OR MOISTURE FOR THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO TRIGGER HEAVY SHOWERS...SO THAT REMAINS OUT OF THE GRIDS. LATER ON IN THE WEEK HOWEVER...THE GFS IS SHOWING COLDER TEMPERATURES AT 500 MB. THIS COULD MEAN THAT HEAVIER SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TOWARDS MID WEEK...BUT WITH THE MODELS NOT SO GOOD ON THE TIMING HERE...WILL HOLD OFF ON MAKING ANY CHANGES THAT FAR OUT. WINDS ATOP HALEAKALA CAME BACK UP OVERNIGHT...AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WILL REMAIN ABOVE THE ADVISORY LEVEL OF 30 MPH THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. && .MARINE... THE WINDY CONDITIONS HAVE TRIGGERED A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES FOR THE CHANNELS...MAALAEA BAY AND WATERS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. && .AVIATION... VFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL PREVAIL WITH MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WITH TRADE SHOWERS. AIRMET TANGO IS IN EFFECT FOR TURBULENCE BELOW 7000 FEET. && .FIRE WEATHER... RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE RUNNING BELOW THOSE CALCULATED YESTERDAY... SO THEY MAY VERY WELL DROP BELOW THE 45 PERCENT THRESHOLD. COMBINED WITH THE VERY HIGH KBDI AND THE BRISK TRADES...THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER LEEWARD SECTIONS THIS AFTERNOON. WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE SITUATION. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY FOR KAUAI KAIWI PAILOLO AND ALENUIHAHA CHANNELS...MAALAEA BAY...WATERS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. WIND ADVISORY FOR HALEAKALA SUMMIT UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY. && CRAIG
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Dakota, May 22, 2010
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, May 22, 2010
- Strong Wind in Nebraska, May 22, 2010
- Tornado and Hail in South Dakota, May 22, 2010
- Flash Flooding and Hail in North Dakota, May 22 to 23, 2010
- Damaging Wind in North Dakota, May 22, 2010
- Flash Flood and Hail in North Dakota, May 22, 2010
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 22, 2010
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 22 to 23, 2010
- Strong Wind in Minnesota, May 22, 2010
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, May 22, 2010
- High Wind in Wyoming, May 22, 2010
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, May 2010
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: 223690.