LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kapalua Airport on Maui island, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, was evacuated and temporarily closed Tuesday evening as a fast-moving brush fire came close.
According to an alert message issued by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT), the airport was evacuated and airport operations are temporarily suspended till Wednesday until DOT determines whether the airport should reopen.
There is a power outage at the airport due to damaged power lines to the airport, DOT said, and incoming flights have been diverted to Kahului Airport on Maui island while all planes on the ground were able to take off before the fire got too close.
No damage has been reported to the terminal or runway or to any structures at the airport, DOT added.
The local KITV news channel reported that about 50 to 60 people including employees and passengers were at the airport at the time of the evacuation and several helicopters were doing water drops in the area.
The Maui Fire Department reported that the fire, dubbed Kahana Ridge fire, was first reported at local time 1:18 p.m. (2318 GMT), when it was reported to be approximately three or four acres (1.2 or 1.6 hectares) and spreading to about 1,000 acres (about 405 hectares) by Tuesday evening due to dry conditions and steady winds in the area.
