CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Business partners D.J. Ioli and Duane Wright surveyed yesterday their Ualena Street auto shop, which was gutted by a fire on Saturday night.
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Arson at auto shops takes $400,000 toll
A fire that damaged several auto businesses near Honolulu Airport this weekend was intentionally set, according to a fire investigator.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday, about 38 firefighters responded to a fire at 2855 Ualena St. The fire was under control at about 9 p.m., Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Gary Lum said.
Damage was estimated at $400,000 to the building and its contents.
A fire investigator said the case was referred to the Sheriff's Division to initiate a criminal investigation because the makai side of Ualena Street falls under state jurisdiction.
Four auto business owners who do custom work on vehicles and operate on different sections of the property were affected by the blaze.
Yesterday, two auto shop owners sifted through the charred remains, including nine vehicles that were destroyed on the property. A car owner took photos with his digital camera of his vehicle blackened in the blaze.
"We lost everything," said Lloyd Ioli, owner of Devious Customs. "Everybody lost everything. We lost three cars, all the tools ... everything."
Ioli, of Kaneohe, said he learned of the fire while he was watching the news on television Saturday night. He rushed to his business.
Ioli estimated damage to his section of the shop and its contents at $150,000.
"What am I going to do now?" asked Ioli, who has operated the shop for five years. "I'm just in shock."
Jerry Antolin, owner of Detail Master, said three vehicles and a mo-ped that he was working on were engulfed in the blaze.
A large section of corrugated roof in Antolin's section of the auto shop hung down covering one of two vehicles.
Like Ioli, Antolin's tools and various car accessories were damaged.
"I gotta start from scratch again," said Antolin, who had operated his shop section for the past two years. He estimated damage to his section and its contents at $70,000 to $80,000.
David Pak, property landlord, said he is looking into whether the auto businesses were covered by insurance.