(BIVN) – A wildland fire was seen burning on the eastern slope of Maunakea on Friday, prompting a public alert from emergency officials and a road closure.
In a Wildfire Information Statement issued just before noon, the Hawaiʻi Fire Department reported no communities were threatened by the blaze, which is occurring in the North Hilo district. However, Mana Road was closed from the Mauna Kea Access Road.
The smoke from the fire was visible on several ALERTWest Situational Awareness Platform webcams.
The fire is occurring in an area under D2 Severe Drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Severe Drought has been spreading in East Hawaiʻi, where “unusually low rainfall totals have persisted for many months,” the Monitor stated.
Webcam photo from ALERTWest’s Situational Awareness Platform showing smoke from the wildland fire on the slope of Maunakea on Friday. Brightness and contrast has been adjusted to increase the visibility of the image.