RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters sprayed water yesterday through a broken window of a residence that caught fire at 1430 Kalaepohaku St. in St. Louis Heights. That fire occurred as other units were battling a large brush fire in Ewa and a rubbish fire in Waianae.

Blazes stretch
fire crews thin

A St. Louis Heights fire
caused $245,000 in damage
and injured the 2 residents

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

A frying pan left unattended on a stove is believed to be the cause of a fire that gutted a St. Louis Heights home yesterday.

That fire occurred as other units were battling a large brush fire in Ewa and a rubbish fire in Waianae, and that meant at least a third of the on-duty firefighters were responding to fire alarms at the same time.

Other fire companies were put on alert to be ready to relocate to another station to cover for the companies answering alarms.

Two residents at the St. Louis Heights fire were taken to Straub Hospital for injuries they suffered trying to put out the flames.

Richard Fukumoto, 74, suffered second-degree burns to his right arm and right shoulder. His wife, Mabel Fukumoto, also 74, suffered a cut to her left hand. Both were treated and released.

The couple's son, Mitchell Fukumoto, said when his mother returned from the hairdresser, she found her husband asleep and a fire burning in the kitchen.

Mabel Fukumoto told fire officials that he was heating oil for cooking tempura, said Richard Soo, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman.

The fire at 1430 Kalaepohaku St. was reported at 11:03 a.m. Seven engine companies responded to the alarm. When they arrived, fire was fully involved.

The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the 40-year-old wooden structure and $45,000 in damage to its contents.

As the seven engine companies were fighting the fire, another company was responding to what turned out to be a rubbish fire in Waianae, and 15 other fire companies and HFD's Air One helicopter were fighting two brush fires at Geiger Road and Iroquois Point Road in Ewa that eventually merged into one.

The brush fire blackened an estimated 50 acres of brush by the time it was reported contained at 1:30 p.m.

Another small brush fire in a valley behind Village Park townhouses burned about an acre yesterday evening.

Firefighters responded to the 5:56 p.m. alarm off Kupuna Loop and had the fire extinguished by 7 p.m., a fire official said.