Investigators cannot identify
Kahului fire’s cause

WAILUKU » A Maui Fire Department investigation has been unable to determine the cause of a blaze that destroyed three stores at the Kahului Shopping Center and caused an estimated $9.7 million in damage to the structure and contents.

The fire destroyed Ah Fook's Super Market, TJ's Oriental Food Mart and the Salvation Army's Thrift Store in Kahului, along with its warehouse and distribution center.

Fire officials were unable to determine through physical evidence that the fire started from a smoldering mattress outside the Salvation Army store, although eyewitnesses said they saw a mattress burning toward the start of the fire, fire Capt. Val Martin said in the investigation report.

Martin said a preliminary probe has ruled out faulty electrical wiring as a cause of the Feb. 27 fire, and he has no doubt the fire started outside the gated area of the Salvation Army's receiving bay.

Martin said he did not know whether the fire was accidental or was started maliciously.

Earlette Santos-Vida, an eyewitness who called police for help, said she saw smoke coming from the mattress and that there was no flame or fire in the receiving bay area, according to the report.

Ah Fook's General Manager Raymond Hew, whose store employed 55 people and had more than 100 vendors, said the business is planning to reopen.

"When and where is the question," said Hew, whose office has been relocated to a nearby commercial building.

Salvation Army Capt. Jason Gill said the nonprofit Christian group planned to rebuild near its offices on land it owns at 45 W. Kamehameha Ave. in Kahului.

He said AAAA Rent-A-Space has donated a room to store its canned goods, but the Salvation Army was still looking for a place to store the thousands of toys it collects and later distributes to children during Christmas. The fire destroyed an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 cans of food and 2,000 to 3,000 toys.

Norbert Buelsing, executive vice president for A&B Properties, said his firm has asked four architectural firms to submit preliminary design proposals for the shopping center before the end of this month.

Buelsing said a portion of the shopping center lies within the tsunami inundation zone, and architects might have to make adjustments.

"It's really preliminary. ... It's not an overnight process," he said.