Composting Pile Fire Closes Central Maui Landfill in Hawaii

The fire was deep under the compost heap — described as being 300-by-300-feet wide and long and 15 feet high — and on Saturday there was at least one “large flare-up” of about 1 acre, Taomoto said. The fire remained contained in the EKO composting facility.

“There is no threat of spreading beyond their facility,” he said.

Kahului station engine and water tanker crews were at the scene late Saturday afternoon, along with a Wailea fire station tanker, a Department of Public Works tanker and a loader, and one tanker and two loaders from EKO, he said.

“Deep-seated fires like this one can be very difficult to extinguish because the mounds of organic material holds the heat, and water can’t easily penetrate to the center of the burning material,” Taomoto said. “The decision to reopen the landfill on Monday will be made by landfill supervisors after they assess conditions that morning.”