A brushfire yesterday burned about 35 acres of kiawe and other shrubbery on a Ma'ili hillside and narrowly missed about half a dozen houses and the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

Firefighters and residents alike said a strong trade-wind breeze helped speed up the front of the fire and push it up the hill, away from the homes and the health center.

"The wind's pretty stiff out here," said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

About half of the health center's 300 workers evacuated while others stayed behind, center security guard Robin Stevenson said.

Seelig said a fire break created last week by the health center may also have helped the facility avert any damage.

Firefighters believe the blaze started about a half-mile farther into Ma'ili'ili Road just past the Pa'akea Road intersection.

Joe Cordeiro, 54, who lives in the home closest to where the fire started, said he was home eating a bowl of saimin when he first smelled the fire and heard fire trucks driving past.

Cordeiro said the fire, taller than his 5-foot-2 frame, cut through the dry grass behind his house.

He estimated the flames came to within about eight to 10 feet of his backyard before advancing toward Farrington Highway. "I was scared," he said. "The house burn, we lose everything."

The fear disappeared quickly, however, as firefighters raced up the hill and hosed the smoldering embers behind his yard.

Vicky Agustin, 32, said the fire came to within 30 or 40 feet of her property.

"I was worried," she said, noting that a similar blaze swept through the area about two years ago just as she and husband, Alex, were closing on the purchase of their property.

Agustin said her family also put up a fire break as a precaution after seeing the near-miss of the last fire.

The first call for the fire was at 1:21 p.m. It was declared under control at 2:51 p.m.

A fire department helicopter scooped buckets of ocean water from just off Ma'ili Beach to help battle the blaze. Federal firefighters assisted their HFD counterparts in the effort.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.