Family couldn’t
get to girl in time
to save her

The Nanakuli 8-year-old
started the blaze while playing
with matches, police say

By Harold Morse
and Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

Her grandmother and six brothers and sisters heard 8-year-old Maile King's screams, but the flames moved faster than they could.

"It was terrible, it just happened so fast," said Henrietta Luttrell about the fire that killed her granddaughter yesterday afternoon.

Maile King of Nanakuli died when she was unable to escape from a fire that ignited clothing and other flammables in a small children's clubhouse behind the family home.

Luttrell said there were matches in the clubhouse, which she estimated to be about 6-foot by 6-foot. But she said the family doesn't know how the fire started.

Luttrell lives next door to the King's home. Six of the eight children in the family, ranging in age from 4 to 16, were inside watching television.

The children's parents, Amy and David King, were away -- dad at work, mom doing volunteer work, Luttrell said.

Keoni Brick, 7, a friend who was with Maile in the clubhouse, ran to get help when the blaze started.

When Luttrell smelled smoke, she also dashed outside. A registered nurse staying with her also ran to the girl to administer CPR but was too late, Luttrell said.

Brother Kawika, 10, was very close to his sister, Luttrell said. Today he had gathered her dolls, photos, and other belongings in a memorial inside the home.

"Now she is with the Lord," Kawika said.

Keoni Brick said Maile spoke of being cold and said she was going to light a fire. She struck a match and set some paper afire, the boy said.

A police report said the girl set the fire while playing with matches.

Firefighters responding to the 3:30 p.m. alarm at 87-154-A Lualei Place had the fire under control at 3:35, but were too late to save the girl.

Keoni said Maile couldn't move after the flames began leaping up.

"She was scared," the boy said.

"My son said he thought her leg was kind of stuck under the table," said his mother, Judy Brick. "He said he tried to help, but the fire just got so big."

Keoni's mother described the place as "a little shed in the back of the house, like a little clubhouse."

The shed contained "clothes and stuff," she added, "piles and piles of stuff."

Six fire units responded, and loss to the structure was set at $200, said Nanakuli fire Capt. Leonard Olsen.