An investigation is underway following a three-alarm fire that engulfed a former car dealership on Nimitz Highway this Wednesday. As reported by Hawaii News Now, the Honolulu Fire Department responded to the blaze at the old Kia Car Dealership near the airport, a site once known as the South Seas Restaurant, around 11:15 a.m. Honolulu Fire Department officials highlighted the intricacies involved in extinguishing the fire, which was deeply embedded within the building's structure.
Due to its complex layout, "Commercial fires are challenging for us to fight because a lot of times there’s void spaces and there might be alternations and renovations that happen to satisfy whatever the business is trying to achieve at that time," a department spokesperson stated. While pursuing the flames, firefighters encountered operational obstacles, with Lagoon Drive briefly closing between Ualena St. and Nimitz Highway before reopening later, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
The severity of the situation was compounded by unknown structural changes within the dealership, a potential hazard for those battling the fire. "One of the reasons why it’s challenging for us is we don’t know how all of the configuration within the building has changed since it’s no longer occupied. Sometimes there’s false ceilings and false spaces and void spaces that inhibit us from getting to the scene of the fire,” Honolulu Capt. Malcolm Medrano told Firehouse.com. Witnesses in the area initially picked up on a burning scent, an ominous precursor to the sight of thick smoke pouring from the defunct building's confines.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire, and nearby residents were warned by sirens. Captain Medrano explained that firefighting on roofs is especially risky. Firefighters had to leave the building and get off the roof. Workers outside watched as smoke poured out. Former Kia workers arrived to help with the building's layout. Firefighters carefully controlled the fire.
