Wildfire, Kauai Leeward
- When
- August 17, 12:15 AM HST to August 22, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Hawaii, August 17 to 22, 2012
A fire blackened about 3000 acres of dry brush along the Pokii, Paua, and Waiaka ridges near Kekaha in leeward Kauai. Several power poles were destroyed by the blaze, and many residents were without electricity for a time.
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 fire blackened about 3000 acres of dry brush along the Pokii, Paua, and Waiaka ridges near Kekaha in leeward Kauai. Several power poles were destroyed by the blaze, and many residents were without electricity for a time. Water usage in the area around Kekaha and Waimea was affected, as well, because electrical power to a water storage tank was cut off. The cost of damages was not available. There were no serious injuries reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
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 16, 8:24 PM HST, 3 hours 51 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 8:24 PM HST, 3 hours 51 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 824 PM HST THU AUG 16 2012 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL KEEP TRADE WINDS BLOWING THROUGH NEXT WEEK. DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY...BEFORE TRADE WINDS CARRY INCREASING SHOWERS INTO WINDWARD AREAS SATURDAY NIGHT. && .DISCUSSION... STABLE STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS OVER THE WINDWARD WATERS ARE INCREASING IN COVERAGE THIS EVENING...AND CLOUDY SKIES WILL FILTER OVER THE ISLANDS TONIGHT. HOWEVER...THESE STABLE CLOUDS WILL NOT BRING MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAINFALL. SOME WINDWARD LOCATIONS WILL STILL SQUEEZE OUT SOME MOISTURE FROM THESE CLOUDS AS RAIN GAGES SHOW A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH FALLING OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS. CLOUD COVER WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE FRIDAY MORNING AS CLOUD TOP HEATING INCREASES. SATELLITES SHOW SHOWERY LOW CLOUDS MOVING TOWARDS THE ISLANDS WITH THE LEADING EDGE LOCATED ABOUT 600 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF THE STATE. THESE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE SATURDAY NIGHT...INCREASING TRADE WINDS SHOWERS TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS. OTHERWISE...A MODERATE STRENGTH HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN FAR NORTH OF THE STATE...CONTINUING THE ISLAND TRADE WINDS AT MODERATE LEVELS INTO NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... SKIES WILL BE CLOUDIER THAN NORMAL...ESPECIALLY ACROSS LEEWARD SECTIONS...BUT VFR CONDITIONS PREDOMINATE. BRIEF MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED IN SHOWERS ACROSS PRIMARILY WINDWARD AREAS. THE GREATER POTENTIAL FOR MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY...WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. RADAR VAD WIND PROFILES AND MOST ACARS SOUNDINGS FROM HONOLULU AND LIHUE SHOW WINDS BELOW THE INVERSION ARE RUNNING 15-20 KNOTS. A COUPLE AIRCRAFT OBSERVED WINDS OVER 25 KNOTS...BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY PILOT REPORTS OF TURBULENCE. WITH SIMILAR WIND AND STABILITY CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND... AN AIRMET FOR LOW-LEVEL TURBULENCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && .MARINE... A SMALL NNW SWELL WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE WITH WINDS AND SEAS BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && PUBLIC/MARINE...MORRISON AVIATION...BRAVENDER
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
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, August 17, 2012
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in Arizona, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 17, 2012
- Hail and Lightning Strike in Arkansas, August 17, 2012
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Nevada, August 17 to 18, 2012
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Florida, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 17, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 17, 2012
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 17, 2012
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, August 2012
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: 397971.