GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM The fire at the Kahului Shopping Center continued to smolder yesterday as investigators looked into the cause of the blaze that destroyed at least three stores, including landmark Ah Fook's Super Market. Fire officials were trying to clear potentially dangerous falling debris before allowing tenants back in.

Salvation Army hit hard

Investigators seek clues to a Kahului fire
that ruined up to 15,000 cans of food
as well as toys for the needy

KAHULUI » A fire at Kahului Shopping Center expected to top $1 million in damage has disrupted food distribution by the Salvation Army to needy people and destroyed toys intended for poor children at Christmas.

"It took away our ability to immediately help those who need emergency food assistance," said Salvation Army Capt. Thomas Taylor. "It took away our warehouse of toys and distribution center."

Taylor said about 2,000 to 3,000 toys were stored in the upper floor of its thrift shop at the Kahului Shopping Center and destroyed in the fire that started Sunday afternoon.

The blaze also destroyed between 10,000 and 15,000 cans of food that were expected to last through the summer for poor families in the central, southern and Upcountry regions of Maui.

The fire swept through at least two other nearby stores, including TJ's Oriental Food Mart and landmark Ah Fook's Super Market, which was observing its 50th anniversary this year at the shopping center.

Fire officials were still trying to extinguish smoking store ruins yesterday and clear potentially dangerous falling debris before allowing tenants back into the shopping center, including those whose stores and offices were spared by the fire.

Norbert Buelsing, an executive vice president with landlord A&B Properties, said fire officials hope to allow some 20 tenants access to their businesses today to assess the damage, if any.

Buelsing said A&B officials will be reviewing the damage to the shopping center, built in 1951, but the losses are easily more than $1 million.

Ah Fook's general manager, Raymond Hew, said he is also evaluating the extent of damage to the store, which has about 55 employees and does business with more than 100 Maui vendors.

GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM The damage is estimated to top $1 million in Sunday's blaze in Kahului, where firefighters continued to clean up yesterday morning.

"Certainly, we'll meet with the landlord," he said.

Ah Fook's, founded in 1917 by Chinese immigrant Tam Kui Fook, has employees whose families have worked for the store for generations.

Fook was among the Chinese in Kula who helped to finance Sun Yat-sen's successful political effort to overthrow the Manchu dynasty and unite China.

Josie Jacalne, one of the owners of TJ's, said a customer rushed into her store shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday to tell her about the mattress and clothing fire outside the Salvation Army.

Jacalne said she called 911 for help, but in five minutes the Salvation Army building was fully engulfed in flames that spread so fast her customers and employees had to be evacuated from her store and restaurant.

She said the store has about five full-time employees and six part-time workers.

She said she and her husband, John, are still assessing to what extent their insurance will cover the damage and whether they will reopen. "For now we don't know yet," she said.

Assistant Fire Chief Alan Cordeiro said yesterday that investigators were still reviewing the cause of the fire and had not classified it. Cordeiro said first reports indicated the fire started in a mattress outside the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

"It could be accidental. We don't know," he said.

Taylor said the store, which employs 11 to 12 people, is closed on Sundays, but people routinely rummage through clothing and other items left for donation on the south side outside the store.

"It's a big problem, but we consider it the cost of doing business," he said. "The mall security guards are doing what they can."

Taylor said the thrift store had an accidental fire at its former location in Kahului in 2001, and the Maui public was generous in helping his organization recuperate its losses.

The fire, which caused losses estimated from $150,000 to $200,000 to the Salvation Army, also destroyed clothing, furniture and household goods, but the major impact was the destruction of its two hydraulic-lift trucks and stores of food, he said.

Taylor said the Salvation Army needs the food but has no place to put it in Kahului. "We'd appreciate if people would donate food to our other stores in Kihei and Lahaina and also our church in Kahului," he said.