Hawaiʻi Island police have identified the two women who died in a late November fire at a converted factory building in Hilo as 72-year-old Antoinette Amii and 56-year-old Neilla Lee. The blaze ripped through the former Puʻueo Poi factory on Nov. 29, killing two tenants and displacing dozens of neighbors. Authorities say autopsies have been completed and that foul play is not suspected.
Police released the victims’ names this week, confirming them as Amii and Lee, according to Big Island Now. Amii had already been identified by family members in December, while Lee was confirmed as the second victim after forensic work. The outlet reports that final autopsy results are still pending.
Fire Response and Aftermath
Hawaii County firefighters were called out at 3:59 a.m. and arrived to find flames showing on multiple sides of the two-story, Quonset-hut-style structure, officials said. By the time the first crews got there, about 60% of the building was involved. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by about 6:30 a.m. and then chased hot spots until roughly 1 p.m.
Search teams later located the two women in separate areas of the structure. Crews also managed to pull out one surviving occupant, and the American Red Cross stepped in to assist 28 displaced residents. The building itself was declared a total loss, according to Big Island Video News.
Investigation and Autopsies
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but “foul play is not suspected,” the Hawaiʻi Police Department said in a media release. The case has been classified as both a fire and a coroner’s inquest, and detectives are working alongside county fire inspectors to determine where and how the blaze started.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Michael Matsumura at (808) 961-2386 or the department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311. That contact information is listed in the department’s release from the Hawaiʻi Police Department.
Safety Concerns and Missed Inspections
The deadly blaze has also put a spotlight back on Hawaiʻi’s inspection system, which critics say often overlooks older buildings that have been converted into housing. December reporting by Civil Beat found that the former poi factory had been illegally converted into rentals and was not on routine inspection lists, a pattern that investigators and fire-safety advocates say makes prevention much tougher.
Family members and neighbors continue to mourn Amii and Lee while relief groups help the 28 displaced residents try to rebuild their lives. Investigators say they will release final autopsy findings once they are available. In the meantime, detectives are urging anyone with video or information from the night of Nov. 29 to come forward.
