Over 120 ties destroyed:
From the KHON 2 TV web pages:
[www.khon.com]
Fire victim needs public's help
Marisa Yamane
A victim of Saturday's west Oahu brush fire is asking for your help. The flames put a damper on business for the Hawaiian Railway Society.
You may be familiar with the non-profit group.
They give railroad tours through West Oahu.
But the fire destroyed a portion of their track, forcing them to cut their tours and admission fees in half.
Now they face the difficult task of repairing the track.
They're removing the old wood, digging the trenches and installing the new wood.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," says Karol Chordas, Hawaiian Railway Society Spokesperson.
There are wooden ties that hold the railroad tracks together.
More than a hundred ties, about five thousand dollars worth, were damaged by Saturday's brush fire that started near Honokai Hale.
It's devastating news to the Hawaiian Railway Society.
"There's a little bit of anger; this was a needless fire here," said Chordas.
The non-profit group has been taking locals and tourists on train rides through west Oahu since the 1980s, from Ewa to Kahe Point.
"Unfortunately we can't take them to ocean at this point because we can't get through this stretch of track," says Chordas.
The group teaches riders about the history and importance of Hawaii's railroads.
"The railway helped to build this island," says Chordas.
The fire came right up to the tracks, and devoured about a mile of wooden ties, halfway between the route.
The group is now beginning the laborious task of repairing the track, and is asking for the public's help.
"If you have an inkling to do some railroad track work we could use the help this week," says Chordas.
They say the more help they get, the faster they can repair the track to get business back to normal.
To find out how you can help, either through manpower or donations, call the Hawaiian Railway Society at 681-5461.
