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Fire at popular Dave and Buster's management waited for the fire department to clear smoke and water from the new entertainment complex to determine the damage from a fire this morning.
Ward restaurant
Dave and Buster's is evacuated after
a welder sparks a blaze in an upstairs arcadeBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletinA Kaiser High School junior class outing to Dave and Buster's was 20 minutes old when the students evacuated the Kakaako arcade because of a fire in the game room on the third-level of the building.
"I was playing one of those car arcade games and I could smell the smoke. It was happening by me but I didn't know what it was. Then some people came and told me, 'There's a fire, so you have to get out and leave," said Sheena Henriques, a Kaiser High School junior.
The fire was caused by some sparks from a welding torch, said Capt. Kenison Tejada, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman.
"According to what one of the welders told me, he was welding, and the sparks, the wash fell onto some stuffed animals. The stuffed animals started to smolder."
Tejada said the welder used four or five extinguishers to try to put out the fire and then the sprinklers turned on. No injuries were immediately reported.
"We hope that we'll be reopened this afternoon or this evening," said Jackie Smythe, company spokeswoman. She said the fire was contained to one area, but they had some concern over water damage.
Fire investigators had yet to make a damage estimate.
The Kaiser High School students arrived at Dave and Buster's in the Ward Entertainment Center at 1044 Auahi St. about 8:45 a.m.
The first of two fire alarms sounded at 9:09 a.m. Firefighters were on the scene in four minutes and had the fire under control by 9:37 a.m., Tejada said.
By then the students were back on the bus headed back to school.
Just over 100 students went on the all-day outing that was to include lunch followed by a movie, said Anthony Gayer, Kaiser High School Vice Principal.
The class leaders are working with Dave and Buster's to reschedule to a future date, he said.
Reporter Lisa Asato contributed to this story.