West side first responders busy Monday

LIHUE — Emergencies on the West Side engaged first responders continuously throughout the afternoon on Monday.

First responders with the Kauai Fire Department responded to an emergency call regarding a brush fire along Kaumualii Highway shortly before 2:35 p.m. on Monday.

Officials reported that it was “all hands on deck” with personnel from the Hanapepe Fire Station and the Kauai Police Department (KPD) as well as private landowners and the on-duty battalion chief responding to the fire near mile marker 21.5 by the Pakala surf break.

KPD closed the westbound lane of Kaumualii Highway to allow crews to battle the blaze. Personnel with the Kauai Emergency Management Agency also arrived on the scene and were on standby for support.

Firefighters and the private landowners battled the 200- to 300-foot brush fire on the mauka side of the highway and successfully contained the blaze at around 3:10 p.m. Fire crews deemed the fire’s cause to be undetermined shortly after it was extinguished.

The scene was cleared a little after 4 p.m., with no injuries or damages reported.

While Hanapepe Fire Station personnel responded to the blaze, the Waimea Fire Station shortly responded to another emergency call regarding an injured hiker at Kokee at around 2:25 p.m.

According to the report, fire crews arrived on the scene at the Waimea Canyon Trail and discovered a 61-year-old visitor from Arizona with an ankle injury. The male visitor was extricated via a Stokes litter and then wheeled to awaiting medics with American Medical Response (AMR).

AMR personnel continued medical treatment on the man before transporting him to the Kauai Memorial Veterans Hospital in Waimea.