Couple perishes
in swift Ewa fire

Officials investigate the blaze
that spares only the garage

Two people died in a quick but intense Ewa house fire that left only the home's garage standing after the flames were extinguished yesterday afternoon.

The fire, reported at 3:43 p.m., destroyed a three-bedroom home at 91-1340 Hoopio St. Both bodies were discovered in a bedroom in the front of the wooden, "plantation-style" home and were burned beyond recognition, said fire Capt. Emmit Kane.

Neighbors said the house went up in flames before they could do anything about it.

"We were on my way home when we passed by and I saw big black smoke from the front door," said Ramon Loarca. "I told a neighbor to call 911, but it went up quick, just like that ... in 10 to 15 minutes it was all gone.

"I kept on asking if anyone was inside and nobody knew ... I didn't hear anyone screaming."

Neighbor Rowena Parado videotaped the blaze and noticed there were two cars in the parking garage, indicating that someone was probably home at the time. By then, it was too late.

"The fire was huge, the flames were 10 to 15 feet high, I think," Parado said. "And then the roof collapsed and flattened everything."

After gutting the house, the fire spread to the garage, where it started burning both the car and the pickup truck. Firefighters rescued a dog that had been trapped in the yard behind a fence on the property.

"It was a golden retriever ... one of the neighbors is caring for it now," said Kane.

The Fire Department estimates damage to the property at $230,000. Kane said the Honolulu Medical Examiner will identify the bodies while fire investigators and Honolulu police figure out what caused the fire. As is procedure, Honolulu police homicide investigators are looking into the case.

"It was obvious that it was a fast-moving fire," Kane said.

"I'm sure construction played a part in how fast it went up," Kane said, noting that it was an older, wooden house.

While the investigation continued for several hours after the fire, police blocked the area where the home was located near Hoopio and Auwaha streets, which prevented residents from going home.

Neighbors described the couple who lived in the home as a Polynesian-looking male and a Caucasian female in their 50s.

Parado said: "They were peaceful, kept to themselves ... I'm sure they were a nice couple."