Kealia Pond refuge to reopen Monday with fire mostly contained | News, Sports, Jobs

Wildland firefighters work to fully extinguish a fire at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge that began July 11. -- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo

Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center will reopen Monday after shuttering in the wake of a 9,000-acre wildfire that began July 11, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday.

The wildfire that burned 9,000 acres of old sugar cane fields and closed access to Kihei for a time came within 32 feet of the visitor center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service news release said.

“No facilities were damaged, largely due to intensive collaborative work by the agencies involved,” the federal agency said, citing the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Maui Fire Department.

The refuge’s native pollinator garden, part of a firebreak installed around the visitor center in 2017, was thought to have helped save the facilities from damage. The Kealia Pond Boardwalk was not impacted by the fire and remains open to visitors, the agency said.

Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge was established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1992 for the protection of the endangered ‘alae ke’oke’o (Hawaiian coot, Fulica alai) and the ae’o (Hawaiian stilt, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). The refuge protects one of the few natural wetlands remaining in the Hawaiian Islands and the largest lowland wetland on Maui.

“We are still assessing the situation and the long-term impacts to wildlife,” said Glenn Klingler, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service project leader for the Oahu and Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex. “To our knowledge, we have not had any endangered species losses, but we are waiting on our fire team to secure the area and mop up final spots before we get in and do a full assessment.”

The fire still is not out at the refuge with the blaze 98 percent controlled as of Friday, the agency said. The fire burned about 110 acres of non-native kiawe forest and some visitor-use areas on the 700-acre refuge along North Kihei Road and Maui Veterans Highway.

The firefighting effort included crews from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Haleakala National Park and Klamath National Forest’s Mount Hebron Wildland Fire Module, Calif. They continue to put out hot spots and to monitor the refuge.

“We all have the same goals — protection of native species and safety,” said Haleakala National Park Superintendent Natalie Gates. “We were happy to assist this skilled and dedicated interagency team.”

State forestry division provided five engines to the initial fire suppression efforts and continues to dedicate one engine to the fire under challenging dry and windy conditions, the agency said.

The refuge will be open for wildlife and wildland observation from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the visitor center from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays, excluding federal holidays, starting Monday. The boardwalk is open 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Admission to the refuge is free.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the community back to enjoy it next week,” said Klingler.

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