KAUNAKAKAI, Moloka'i — A wildfire that threatened dozens of homes and business in Kaunakakai over the weekend is now endangering native forests.

The fire had burned 7,800 acres as of yesterday, spreading west and to the northeast, into hard-to-reach valleys and gullies in the Makakupa'ia section of Moloka'i State Forest, according to Glenn Shishido of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Also at risk is the adjacent 2,774-acre Kamakou Preserve, an important watershed that is home to native trees, plants, insects and birds.

With the fire threat moving away from inhabited areas, the Department of Education said Moloka'i High School, Moloka'i Middle School and Kaunakakai Elementary School will reopen today. Officials at Kualapu'u Elementary Public Charter School will announce this morning whether students should report to that campus.

Even though none of the campuses was directly threatened by the fire, all four were closed yesterday when firefighting efforts required the intermittent closure of Maunaloa Highway, disrupting access to the schools.

Safety concerns led the Department of Land and Natural Resources to halt public access to the Moloka'i Forest Reserve until further notice. Forestry and Wildlife Division administrator Paul Conry said firefighters have encountered individuals on all-terrain vehicles in the Makakupa'ia burn area within the forest reserve.

"This closure is imperative for several public safety reasons — the fire may increase and trap people. Also those persons riding on the roads could encounter moving heavy equipment or fire vehicles and cause an accident or interfere with the firefighting effort," he said.

Shishido said non-native pine stands and native species in the reserve have burned. The forest hosts native tree species such as holei, naio, olopua and kukui.

Firefighters are working in the forest to create firebreaks and improve state forest roads to stop the fire from spreading into the forest, he said.

Flames also were encroaching on the southwest corner of the Kamakou Preserve, although so far no native resources had been affected, according to Grady Timmons of The Nature Conservancy, which manages the preserve.

About 40 county firefighters have been battling the blaze, along with 30 personnel from DLNR and four from The Nature Conservancy. Yesterday, five helicopters continued water drops over burning areas, scooping water from the county's Cooke Memorial Swimming Pool, which will be closed again today when aerial operations resume at daylight. Assisting firefighters were seven bulldozers and five water tankers.

FEMA FUNDING

The state learned yesterday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant to cover a portion of firefighting costs. FEMA funding will be available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible expenses, such as equipment use, tools, materials and supplies, and the cost of transporting crews to and from Moloka'i.

The fire began shortly after noon Saturday near Kikipua Street in Kaunakakai, although county officials aren't sure how it started. Flames came dangerously close to homes in Kalama'ula Sunday afternoon, and Kaunakakai residents were advised to evacuate as the fire crept to within 20 feet of residences. Most stayed to protect their homes with garden hoses.

A carport and an abandoned structure near Kalama'ula were destroyed, but a pig farm in the same area escaped damage or injury to livestock.

The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center on Sunday, but only two people stayed there overnight, and the shelter was closed at 1 p.m. yesterday.

Aside from one firefighter who was treated for smoke inhalation on Saturday, no injuries have been reported.

Moloka'i's gusty winds, parched landscape and large expanses of abandoned agricultural and ranch lands are ideal for encouraging runaway brushfires, especially during the hot summer months. Some of the larger blazes include a June 2007 fire that blackened 1,000 acres on the island's west end, a 3,000-acre Ho'olehua blaze in August 2003, and an August 1998 fire that burned 12,400 acres outside Kaunakakai.

Like most of the state, Moloka'i has been experiencing low rainfall this year, with Kaunakakai and Ho'olehua receiving a little more than half normal rainfall levels through July.