UPDATE, 4:35 p.m.: Kuakini Highway, from Onioni St to Nakukui St, is now open to traffic. Police advise motorists to drive slowly and with caution in the area.
UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.
Residents are being allowed to return to their homes, and all highways have reopened as firefighters continue working to extinguish the fire.
UPDATE, 2:18 p.m.
An evacuation shelter has been set up at the Kailua Park Gymnasium (the Old Kona Airport). Fire and police personnel are going door-to-door in the affected neighborhoods to get residents out safely. At this time, there is no information related to the cause of the fire, according to Hawaii County.
PREVIOUSLY
Two Kailua-Kona subdivisions have been ordered to evacuate as firefighters battle a brush fire south of Onioni Street.
The Kona Hillcrest and Aloha Kona subdivisions were ordered to evacuate about 12:50 p.m. today due to the fire, which broke out shortly before noon in vacant land south of Onioni Street and between Kuakini Highway and Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
Pottery Terrace was ordered to evacuate about 1 p.m.
Kuakini Highway is currently closed at its intersection at Walua Road and Onioni Street. Intermittent closures are being effected on Queen Kaahumanu Highway was firefighters work to stop the fire’s progress mauka.
Chopper 1 is currently on scene assisting county and volunteer firefighters with water drops to douse the flames.