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A fire is raging in a rural area on the Big Island of Hawaii.
High winds and extremely dry conditions made it difficult for crews to control the blaze.
The fire started west of the U.S. Army’s Pohakuloa training area, which is located above the town of Waikoloa, between the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes.
The fire burned more than 15 square miles.
Experts say relatively small fires on typically humid tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean are rising, creating a cycle of ecological destruction that affects vital and limited resources for millions of residents.
Officials said the blaze started a few weeks ago and remained stagnant until it was picked up by strong winds this week.
The area is dominated by shrubs and grasslands, which have been drier due to persistent drought.
“This fire is very serious and the entire first response team is working together to contain its progress,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison’s Pohakuloa training area.
Strong winds, some in excess of 30 mph, were recorded in the area.
“Weather conditions made it difficult to slow the fire in this fight, and we are working together to prevent the fire from reaching or crossing Highway 190,” Lt. Col. Cronin said.
The fire is now burning on state land, about a mile off Highway 190, according to Big Island County officials.
The village of Waikoloa, a town of about 7,000 people on the other side of Highway 190, was evacuated last year when the state’s largest-ever wildfire burned more than 70 square miles.
Crews were using bulldozers to create firebreaks and several helicopters from various agencies were dousing the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, although active military training is underway in the area, an Army spokesman said.
“There are troops there for training, and I can’t confirm or deny whether there was live fire,” said Michael O Donnelly, chief of external communications for the U.S. Army in Hawaii. “It’s business as usual, but we don’t know exactly why.”
On Thursday night, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for fire conditions in the area.
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