WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii — As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Public Affairs Office reported that U.S. Army fire fighters have made significant progress on the wildfire at Makua Military Reservation. It’s burned nearly 180 acres and is more than 90% contained.

Fire personnel will remain on site through Wednesday until the fire is 100% contained and the threat of further spread is eliminated. Aerial units will be on standby in case of a flare up.

“While this fire is not over yet, we will continue to monitor it overnight, I want to thank all the Army first responders on the ground, in the air and behind the scenes who have tirelessly come together to manage this wildfire and prevent it from spreading,” said Col. Steve McGunegle, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii commander, in a news release. “I’d like to thank the community for their support and understanding during this event.”

Previous reports have stated there was no active training going on at the time the fire started. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause.

As of 2 p.m. Aug. 21, six fire fighters from Schofield Barracks, two fire engines and a UH-60 Blackhawk from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade continued fighting a wildfire at Makua Military Reservation.

As of Sunday, approximately 155 acres were reported burned, and the fire was about 60% contained.

The wildfire started at about 12:30 p.m. Aug. 19 near the south ridge of the Makua Military Reservation. According to the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Public Affairs Office, there were no activities or active training taking place in the area. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Residents and motorists near the reservation may see smoke, however, officials assure the public the wildfire is currently not a threat to nearby facilities or people.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii.

EDITOR'S UPDATE: The original story has been updated to include significant progress has been made on the wildfire and fire crews will remain on site through Wednesday. (Aug. 24, 2022)