Car fire spreads to
Hilo woman’s home
HILO >> A car was driven into the garage of a Hilo home yesterday and burst into flames that spread to the house and destroyed it, authorities said.
Following the 10:28 a.m. fire, police were still trying last night to determine the ownership of the car that burned the home of Helen Roman, a woman who lived alone on Halai Street above downtown Hilo.
Roman had left the house shortly before the fire, police said.
The Fire Department put the damage to the house at $250,000.
"I can tell you the car did not belong there," said police Lt. Steven Guillermo.
A neighbor noticed the white, two-door Honda was in flames and unsuccessfully tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher before calling the Fire Department, police said.
The fire spread from the car to the garage, which was in the basement of the house. From there it spread to most of the house.
Both police and fire officials said the cause of the fire in the car was unknown.
Police later towed the car to the Police Department to be held as evidence. The car was so badly burned that officers could not read the license plate number, Guillermo said. Pieces of charred wood were still visible inside the metal frame.
Police had received a report of several suspects trying to break into a car downtown about a mile away about 15 minutes before the fire, Guillermo said.
When the suspects were interrupted doing that, they got into a white car similar to the one at the Roman house and drove away.
But police did not know whether the two incidents were related, Guillermo said.
There were no immediate suspects in the case. Police asked anyone missing a white, two-door Honda or anyone with knowledge of the case to call them at 961-2276 or 935-3311.
