A residential fire in Nanakuli has been officially classified as incendiary after a two-story apartment building was engulfed in flames earlier this week, with damage estimates exceeding $700,000. According to reports from Hawaii News Now, the fire broke out shortly after 3 p.m. on Tuesday at 87-2146 Helelua Place. The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) quickly responded, finding the building fully involved upon their arrival.
It took firefighters nearly thirty minutes to bring the blistering fire under control, which was reported as being fully extinguished by 4:48 p.m. As they battled the blaze, crews managed to quickly secure a water supply and initiate their offensive to aggressively attack the fire. Nearby resident Clinton Yamaguchi described the rapidly unfolding scene to Hawaii News Now: "I smelled smoke. I looked in the sky, and yeah, it looked kinda smoky out here,” Yamaguchi said. “We both came out of the unit, and that’s when we saw the unit pretty much engulfed in flames, real fast."
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, with HFD confirming after a thorough search that no one was inside the building at the time of the incident. However, the fire resulted in significant material losses; the HFD placed the damage estimate for the unit of origin at $585,900, with neighboring units incurring costs of $58,590 and $29,295, respectively. Content loss was additionally reported to be around $30,000, as per KHON2.
While the investigation to conclusively identify the cause of the fire continues, authorities have initiated an arson investigation spearheaded by the Honolulu Police Department. Despite the arrest of a man for criminal contempt of court on the scene, no one has yet to responsibly held responsible for the arson itself. Residents have indicated that the individual arrested lived in the unit where the fire started. "At times, he would have these episodes or issues or whatever you want to call it. But yeah, and it’s kind of disturbing, you know," a neighbor told Hawaii News Now. The American Red Cross has been requested to assist the occupants affected by the fire. HFD has confirmed that all personnel have been accounted for as investigations into the incident continue.
