Honolulu firefighters knocked down a blaze Saturday morning inside a classroom building at William P. Jarrett Middle School in Kaimuki, city and school officials said. Crews arrived to find smoke and flames coming from a first-floor room in a two-story campus building and quickly brought the fire under control. The building was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call at 10:23 a.m., and the first unit arrived on scene at 10:30 a.m. Ten units and 37 personnel responded. The department said crews had the blaze under control by 10:42 a.m. and fully extinguished it by 10:51 a.m.
Jarrett Middle campus and address
William P. Jarrett Middle School sits at 1903 Palolo Avenue and serves students in grades 6 through 8, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. The campus is part of the Kaimukī–McKinley–Roosevelt complex area.
Investigation and damage
The Honolulu Fire Department has assigned an investigator to determine the origin and cause of the blaze and to assess damage to the building, officials said. The department also noted that the building was unoccupied when the fire was reported and that there were no injuries, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Safety and alarm systems
The state has been working to modernize school fire-alarm systems. An HIDOE facilities update from October 2024 lists Jarrett Middle's system as operating and roughly 20 years old, with work scheduled. That memo outlines a broader push to replace and repair panels across the system to reduce the number of schools on manual fire watch plans. Officials have not said whether Jarrett's alarm system activated during Saturday's blaze.
How to get updates
The Honolulu Fire Department and the school's official channels remain the main sources for updates on the investigation and any campus impacts. For statements from the department visit the Honolulu Fire Department, and for school notices check Jarrett Middle School. We will update this article as officials release more information.
