RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Rev. Kaleo Patterson looked through the remains of his home in Waianae, which was heavily damaged by fire early yesterday morning.
House fire hits
church leader hardThe Rev. Kaleo Patterson
and his family escape safely
thanks to alert friends
A fire early yesterday destroyed the Waianae home of the Rev. Kaleo Patterson, a Hawaiian sovereignty activist and pastor of Ka Hana O Kea Akua Church. All nine members of the family escaped safely.
CORRECTION
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2003>> Church member Connie Tom was misidentified as Connie Stevens in an article yesterday on Page A3 about a fire that destroyed the Rev. Kaleo Patterson's home in Waianae.
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.
The fire started shortly after 2 a.m. at the four-bedroom Widemann Street home and was extinguished two hours later. The fire destroyed the carport, patio and front part of Patterson's home. Damage is estimated at $250,000 to the structure and its contents.
Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada said the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem near the washing machine on the patio behind the garage.
"We're just thankful that nobody got hurt," said Patterson. "We'll just rebuild."
Patterson was nominated earlier this year as senior pastor for Kawaiaha'o Church but was narrowly rejected by the congregation.
Waianae resident Kaui Nishimura was dropping off a friend after a night of karaoke in Pearl City yesterday when he noticed smoke rising from Patterson's garage.
At first, Nishimura thought the Patterson family was having a barbecue. As he got closer, he realized the garage was on fire.
Nishimura ran into the house, yelling that the garage was on fire. Patterson and his family fled before the flames roared through the front of the house.
Nishimura, a childhood friend of Patterson's son Josiah, said his friend David Chong tried to grab a garden hose to help extinguish the fire, but it was too hot to hold. Chong stood outside and yelled, "Get! Fire!" to help wake up the Pattersons.
"If it hadn't been for them, this would've been a lot worse," said Patterson's brother, Matthew.
Patterson and his wife, three children, grandchild, nephew, parents and his son's fiancee escaped through the back door that leads to Patterson's mother's home, which suffered heavy smoke damage to one bedroom.
The American Red Cross-Hawaii Chapter offered temporary housing in Aiea.
Family members, friends and members of the church in Waianae brought food and necessities, dropped off envelopes with money and opened their homes to the Pattersons.
Presents for Patterson's daughter Kekela, who celebrates her 13th birthday today, were destroyed in the fire. A canoe that belonged to Rell Sunn -- a noted surfer who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1998 -- was damaged by the flames. The canoe was stored in the back yard of neighbor and respected waterman Brian Keaulana.
The heat from the flames also melted the grills and caused the windshields to crack on Patterson's gold Buick and his son Jordan's white Chevy pickup truck.
The Patterson family had undergone a similar experience when they lived on Kauai. In September 2002, Hurricane Iniki tore the roof off the Pattersons' AnahoIa home. The family lived in a tent before they moved into a duplex.
"We're here for him because he is always here for us," church member Connie Stevens said. "It was only material things (that were destroyed). ... Those you can replace.
"You can't replace Kahu Kaleo and his family."
