KAUAI, HI - On Thursday July 15th at 11:30 a.m., the Kauai, Hawaii Fire Department responded to a reported fire at the Lihue Refuse Transfer Center located next to Lihue Airport, the main airport for the island. Upon arrival of Engine, Rescue, and Hazmat 3, they were confronted with a burning pile of old appliances and scrap metal. A 4 inch supply line was stretched to a nearby hydrant, and a surround and drown attack was started with the fixed monitor on Engine 3, and handlines. People in the surrounding area were evacuated due to toxic smoke, and the fire department called in Air 1 (a Hughes Model 500) contract fire department chopper with Inter-Island Helicopters.

At about 2:00 p.m. the fire at the transfer plant spread into abandoned sugar cane fields that are now overgrown with Guinea grass, and touched off a 60 acre brush fire. At one point, the brush fire threatened the airport fuel tank farm, and the tour helicopter facility. Lihue airport crash crews responded with three trucks to protect their facilities. All the facilities were saved, while the fire continued to burn to the airport access road which caused road closures, and passengers to miss their flights. While performing water drops the contract helicopter struck a tree with it's rotor blades and crashed on the edge of the old cane field. The pilot was unhurt, but the aircraft was seriously damaged. A Navy helicopter from the Pacific Missile Range Facility took over for the damaged Air 1 copter.

The fire was brought under control late that afternoon. The fire required the response of the Station 3 apparatus, Engine 5, and Brush Engine 2 in addition to the air response from the contractor and the US Navy.