WAIALUA — Firefighters made progress yesterday against a North Shore wildfire that's been burning out of control since Sunday, destroying banana, papaya and mango crops in its path.

The blaze — which has burned more than 6,700 acres — went from 25 percent contained to 45 percent contained yesterday thanks to more helicopter support, perimeter containment and diminished fuel supply, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

"It's looking a lot better," said Seelig, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

But, he added, there's still no end in sight.

There are more untouched areas and plenty of fire potential left in locations that burned only partially. Plus the winds were just as strong and gusting more than on previous days, increasing the potential for flare-ups, Seelig said.

That's not the kind of news that farmers and others in the area hoped for.

Organic farmer Al Santoro said he had been on an emotional roller coaster for three weeks.

He said he was barely able to contain his excitement when he learned that his farm, Poamoho Organic Produce, was one of the first chosen as a supplier to upscale natural food grocer Whole Foods as it prepares to enter the Hawai'i market.

"And now, a week after all that, we're getting creamed by the fire — so I'm having farmer frustration right now," Santoro told Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

Hannemann had gone to the Waialua area for a firsthand look.

Santoro, 62, said he has lost half of his apple banana crop and as many as 150 papaya trees to the wildfire.

"I lost bananas, irrigation, papaya and mangoes," he said as he surveyed rows of scorched, brown bananas dangling in the wind. "Everything was affected. You can see all these bananas got cooked."

Bad as things have been for him, Santoro said, other farmers have been hit worse.

"We've got farmers below me who lost equipment. There's one cattle rancher who lost his fence line and three-quarters of his grazing land. So now he has to import feed. It's very devastating what happens when these things get out of control."

Santoro said he's grateful his home was spared. He credited the fire department for that.

HOME WAS SAVED

There were some scary moments on Sunday when flames from the gulch ridge next to his property were moving toward the house. But he said a dozen firefighters and two engines stationed between his doorway and the fire line kept the flames away and saved his place.

Hannemann said the fire department's priority in a crisis such as this one is to protect homes. Otherwise, he said it's essential to do everything possible to save farm lands in such an important agricultural area.

"I feel for our farmers out here," he said. "We're going to see what we can do to help them."

He said he had been in contact with the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, but it was too soon to speculate about how many farmers have been hurt or how much damage has been caused.

"There have been no loss of lives, no injuries and no structural damage," he said. "But what we need to do now is hope that Mother Nature kicks in her kokua, because what's making this very challenging is obviously the strong winds."

WIND, LACK OF RAIN HURT

Tropical Storm Flossie, downgraded from a hurricane on Tuesday, brought gusty wind to much of O'ahu yesterday.

Firefighters also have been hampered by dry grass, hard-to-reach gullies and a lack of rain.

Seelig said the fire has been unstoppable as it moved through dry brush and grass, conditions brought on by drought.

An unusually dry winter has left fields of dying brush and grass. The National Weather Service had said that from October to April, many areas in the Islands saw only 40 percent to 60 percent of their normal rainfall.

Coming after the record 40-day downpour in February and March 2006, the drought has turned lush fields into thousands of acres of fuel for a fire.

Yesterday, state, federal and city departments again assisted the Honolulu Fire Department.

Eight engines, four tankers and two brush trucks were on site, as were crews from the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and an excavator and bulldozer from the city Department of Public Works.

And three more helicopters were brought in, bringing the total to eight dropping water.

"It's looking a lot better than yesterday, but it's not fully contained yet," Seelig said of the fire.

"That just shows that there's every reason to remain vigilant for people who live in this area," he said. He noted that crews limit night work because of the hazardous terrain, but they were ready to respond if necessary and will keep watch over hot spots.

"We're going to continue working toward complete containment, protecting exposures and working on extinguishing hot spots," he said.

SCHOFIELD BLAZE OUT

The portion of the fire that entered Schofield Barracks was declared out yesterday, but not before it scorched about 800 acres of wildland, said John Reese, spokesman for U.S. Army Garrison, Hawai'i.

Firefighters yesterday also were kept busy tackling a fire that began in Mokule'ia and made its way toward Yokohama Bay and Ka'ena Point.

About 300 acres had burned in a blaze that began between Dillingham Airfield and a satellite tracking station above Yokohama on Tuesday night, Seelig said.

Firefighters were worried that flames would reach the tracking station, but they never did, he said.

"We pretty much have that fire in hand," he said, adding that fire crews continued to monitor the situation in case it flared again.

CLASSES SET TO RESUME

The smoke that descended on the Makaha Valley area from the Waialua fire on Tuesday had become a non-issue yesterday.

Seelig said no problems were encountered yesterday along the Leeward Coast. Students at Wai'anae High School and Makaha Elementary School have been out of classes since Tuesday afternoon after teachers and students complained of minor respiratory issues, but were expected to return to classes today.

Seelig said it might be another day before firefighters would have any idea when the Waialua fire would be extinguished. He said it would be a relief if the wind would die down and some rain would take its place.

Otherwise, things could get worse before they get better.

"We're almost at 7,000 acres right now," said HFD Battalion Chief Emmit Kane from the fire and police command center on Poamoho Street, off Kaukonahua Road.

"This has been a bad one."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com and Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.