The blaze was reported at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and spread clouds of thick smoke over the marsh. Even though it is a wetland, the flames grew rapidly, "Even though you think, hey, it's a marsh, it's got a lot of water," said Honolulu Fire Capt. Terry Seelig. "But there's vegetation on top, and when it burns, it produces a lot of smoke. The heat's enough to radiate and keep on extending itself."