COURTESY OF KAMASAMI KONG
A fire in a two-story Makiki apartment gutted four units and caused an estimated $260,000 in damage yesterday. There were no injuries.
Makiki apartment blaze
leaves 5 people homelessThe Kinau Street fire causes
an estimated $260,000 in damage
A fire in a two-story Makiki apartment building gutted four units and left five people homeless yesterday.
CORRECTION
Monday, Sept. 1, 2003>> The apartment building fire in Makiki on Thursday was at 821 Kinau St. Articles on Friday and Saturday incorrectly reported the address as 827 Kinau St.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.
Fire officials said the blaze at 827 Kinau St. was reported at 5:28 p.m. and apparently started from the bottom unit closest to Kinau Street before spreading to a unit next door and then two second-floor units.
There were no injuries, and the fire was brought under control at 5:37 p.m.
One woman, who was home on the second floor when the fire started, said she ran out of the building barefoot with a bedsheet wrapped around her head to protect her from smoke inhalation.
"I came outside the first time because I heard people yelling but didn't see anything," said the woman, who did not want her name used. "Then I came out a second time, and the smoke was really bad. ... I yelled for all my other neighbors to get out, then I got out of there."
PHOTO COURTESY OF GERALD TOYOMURA
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at 5:37 p.m.
Firefighters said another man lowered his son over the second-floor railing and climbed down himself because the heat from one of the units was preventing them from using the staircase. Two other women living in the unit where the fire started were also home at the time but evacuated the building safely.
"The two units, top and bottom, closest to the road, received heavy fire and smoke damage," said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Emmit Kane, "but everybody was able to evacuate safely with no injuries."
Kane said when firefighters arrived they saw what he described as "heavy, heavy, fire billowing out of multiple units." Neighbors next door said when they saw the fire, they tried to warn residents in the building.
"I heard, 'Get out! Get out!' and I came down and the top unit was all in flames," said Vanessa Rivera, who lives in the high-rise next door. "The neighbors in the back tried to shoot the fire with their water hose, but there was only so much they could do."
Kane said the fire was caused by unattended cooking, when two residents of the unit were deep-frying food in hot oil.
The fire caused an estimated $260,000 in damage to the building and its contents, he said.
Red Cross officials were assisting residents who were left homeless.
Police said they closed the Kinau Street freeway offramp for about 15 minutes to help the firefighters.
Star-Bulletin reporter Elizabeth Fong contributed to this report.
