Cool, wet weather helps firefighters

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The Keauhou Ranch Fire remained 90 percent contained on Friday, covering an area of 3,739 acres on the slopes of Mauna Loa, mostly within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

According to a news release from HVNP on Thursday, cooler and wetter weather had allowed firefighters to focus on patrol of firelines.

Mike Theune, fire information officer for the National Park Service, said because of where the fireline is at near special ecological areas, crews are working slowly to make sure there are not threats to that line.

“We’re being very meticulous about our movements in that area to make sure that fireline won’t be compromised by something rolling out or falling across that edge,” he said.

According to Theune, work is beginning on damage assessments.

Additional crews have come from California to assist in fighting the blaze, and Theune said as the fire activities decrease, some of the mainland crews will start returning.