Wildfire in Hawaii, July 7 to 8, 2017

Name: Wildfire in Hawaii, July 7 to 8, 2017
Start: 2017-07-07T11:58
End: 2017-07-08T18:00
Location: Hawaii

July 7 to 8, 2017 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A wind-blown fire blackened about 2200 acres of mainly pasture land near Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The blaze also destroyed a house and a vehicle.

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 wind-blown fire blackened about 2200 acres of mainly pasture land near Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The blaze also destroyed a house and a vehicle. A female resident of the home was evacuated from the area. The cause of the fire was under investigation. There were no serious injuries. The cost of damages had not yet been calculated.

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 Jul 7, 9:39 AM HST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 9:39 AM HST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
939 AM HST Fri Jul 7 2017

.SYNOPSIS...
Moderate to fresh trade winds will continue through Monday as
surface highs remain far northwest and northeast of the state.
Expect a few passing trade showers mainly across windward facing
slopes during the next several days. An increase in showers and
humidity is expected Tuesday with wet conditions continuing into
Thursday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
High pressure centered far NW of the state is providing island
trade winds and will continue to bring moderate to breezy winds into
next week. Ridging aloft will keep a cap on showers through
Monday. Overnight balloon soundings from Lihue and Hilo show the
cloud capping temperature inversion is near 6 thousand feet with
stable conditions throughout the atmosphere.

Stable trade wind weather will continue through Monday before
increasing moisture approaches the islands from the east Tuesday
morning. An area of tropical moisture now 1300 miles east of the
Big Island will move along with the trade winds over the next
several days and is expected to reach the eastern edge of the
state Tuesday morning. Showers and humidity will increase with the
arrival of the tropical moisture. Looking aloft, the atmosphere
looks to remain fairly stable, so no thunderstorms are expected
with the increase in low level moisture. However, cloud tops could
reach up to 20 thousand feet with neutral atmospheric conditions
and the added low level moisture. Overall, it is shaping up as a
wet and humid trade wind forecast beginning Tuesday and continuing
into Thursday.

&&

.AVIATION...
High pressure far NNW of the state will maintain moderate to fresh
ENE trade winds. AIRMET TANGO for low level turbulence over and
immediately S through W of the mountains will remain posted.

Clouds and isolated showers will favor the windward and mountain
areas. Conditions should remain predominately VFR, with only brief
MVFR in some passing showers.

&&

.MARINE...
A high northwest of the area will remain nearly stationary today and
maintain locally strong trade winds over the coastal waters. A Small
Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect through this afternoon for
waters around the Big Island and Maui. Winds are expected to weaken
slightly tonight as the high moves off to the northeast. The SCA
should be able to be dropped this evening as a result, but will
keep an eye on the afternoon scatterometer pass for signs to the
contrary.

No significant swells are expected and surf will remain well
below advisory levels on all shores. A SSE swell arriving today
will bring a moderate increase in surf along south facing shores
through the weekend.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Maalaea Bay-
Pailolo Channel-Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big
Island Southeast Waters.

&&

Morrison...Discussion
Eaton...Aviation
Stall...Marine

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Big Island North and East

When: July 7, 11:58 AM HST to July 8, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper

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 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, July 2017

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: 704880.