Apparent vehicle fire sparks brush burn in area near Hawaii Island highway

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PAAUILO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Firefighters on Hawaii Island on Monday afternoon reponded to a brush fire on the Mamalahoa Highway that started around 3 p.m..

Witnesses say the brush fire was sparked when a large truck burst into flames on the shoulder lane of the highway.

Police shut the highway down in both directions between Paauilo and Ookala near the 32-mile marker. Authorities have since reopened a single contraflow lane to traffic.

The size of the fire is unknown, but police are asking drivers to steer clear of the area.