Discarded cigarette may have started Maui forest fire

Discarded cigarette may have started Mauiforest fire

1 February 2007

published by starbulletin.com

Kula, Maui, Hawaii — Fire investigators believe a forest fire that burned 1,700to 1,800 acres in the Kula Forest Reserve was started by a discarded cigarette.

“The location of it makes us believe it was discarded by a hiker or hikers,”said Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and NaturalResources

Firefighters are still guarding the 16-mile perimeter around some 2,291 acresnear Polipoli State Park on Haleakala and extinguishing hot spots.

County firefighters were notified about the forest blaze Jan. 23, and morethan 60 firefighters helped to contain it.