KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- A brush fire in North Kohala continued to burn Monday night, scorching at least 1,500 acres of pasture land, Big Island officials said.
Authorities reported no injuries and no structures damaged in the blaze that burned to the southeast of the junction of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Kawaihae Road.
The fire forced the temporary evacuation Monday of more than a dozen homes in The Uplands at Mauna Kea, an exclusive subdivision. On Sunday, the day the fire broke out, up to 50 homes in the Waiula Drive self-help housing project were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.
Three bulldozers, which worked on fire breaks and back burns to contain the blaze, and ground crews were to stay on scene overnight.
``The back burn did help,'' although the fire was not yet considered contained, said Lanny Nakano, acting administrator of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.
Two helicopters made water drops during the daylight hours, he said.
Firefighters still refrained from going into the area on foot because of the possibility of live ordnance left over from nearby Camp Tarawa, a World War II training area, Nakano said.
The fire started shortly before noon Sunday along the side of Kawaihae Road near Hawaiian Fresh Egg Farm, he said.
Authorities closed an eight-mile stretch of the highway between the Waikoloa Road junction to the intersection of Kawaihae Road due to the smoke hazard Sunday night. Traffic reportedly was backed up for miles along Waikoloa Road during the morning commute to the Kohala Coast hotels and resorts.
Although the cause of the fire remained under investigation, Nakano said it may have been the result of a lit cigarette or hot vehicle exhaust coming in contact with the brush.
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