A fire tore through a unit on the seventh floor of an eight-story residential building for elderly residents on South King Street in Honolulu on Sunday, leaving a 69-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman hospitalized. Firefighters pulled both residents from the building at 1239 South King Street and handed them off to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, which reported the woman suffered serious burns while the man was in stable condition with possible smoke inhalation.
According to Hawaii News Now, Honolulu Fire Department crews arrived three minutes after first responders were alerted to the blaze. However, staradvertiser.com described crews finding an eight-story building with no visible smoke or flames from outside before discovering the fire on the seventh floor.
Two Residents Extricated From Seventh-Floor Unit
Fire crews searched the involved unit as well as neighboring units before extricating a man and a woman in their 60s and transferring their care to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, the station's report states. Firefighters brought the fire under control shortly before 3:40 p.m., and the Star-Advertiser pinpointed the moment it was deemed under control and extinguished at 3:38 p.m.
Per Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, the 71-year-old woman was treated for burns to her body and was in serious condition, while the 69-year-old man was treated for possible smoke inhalation and was in stable condition. Both were taken to a hospital. A separate report from KITV had said at one point that details regarding any injuries connected to the fire had not been released.
Investigator Dispatched as Cause Remains Unclear
KITV reported that an investigator was dispatched to the scene at 3:45 p.m. to look into the fire. A Honolulu Fire Department fire investigator was called to the scene and plans to investigate the cause of the fire and estimate the damage, though findings had not been released.
No further details about the building's residents or the extent of the damage have been made public as the investigation continues.
