DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters hosed down an Adelaide Street house yesterday that was fully engulfed in flames. Several people lived in the house, and an 84-year-old Kalihi woman was killed in the fire.

Kalihi house fire
leaves 1 dead, rest
of family homeless

Residents try to fight a fire
that engulfed their duplex home

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Family members of an 84-year-old Kalihi woman who was killed in a house fire yesterday said they did not notice her missing until it was too late.

The American Red Cross is assisting 25 other family members who were left homeless by the blaze at the 1511 Adelaide St. duplex.

Firefighters said they found the body of Pia Oasay in a second-floor bedroom that was heavily damaged by flames.

"The fire was going already ... by then, can't do anything," said resident Junior Sales, who was home sleeping when the fire started. "I woke up and smelled smoke, then I opened the door, and the smoke was all over the place."

DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters tried to get at a blaze on Adelaide Street from a vantage point on Likelike Highway.

Sales is one of 19 adults and seven children who lived in the duplex, all of them related to each other. Family members estimate that about six or seven of them were at home when they first smelled smoke about 3:25 p.m.

In an area where many homes are less than 20 feet away, neighbors were quick to notice also.

"I thought they were having a barbecue at first," said 10-year-old Justin Kealoha Salvador. "But then I saw all the smoke and called 911."

Next-door neighbor Brian Ahsam said at least four people tried to fight the fire with water hoses to save the Oasay's home as well as their own.

"My brother-in-law was in the front shooting water, but I think the heat was too much for him because he dropped the hose and ran off," Ahsam said. "We tried.

"And we didn't know someone was still inside."

At least one other person, the 86-year-old owner of the home, was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Mike Sales, another resident of the house, was treated at the scene after he reportedly rushed upstairs to get some people out.

Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada said the fire caused an estimated $480,000 in damage to both the house and contents. Tejada said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

"Inside I'm kind of shocked," said Ben Duldulao, whose house is located behind the Oasay's duplex. "This was so close."

"It could have happened to anybody. It could have happened to us."