18 left homeless after fire destroys Waipahu apartment
Six adults and 12 children, ranging in age from 14 years old to 7 months, were left homeless yesterday after flames swept through a two-bedroom apartment in Waipahu, officials said.
The victims, all of whom lived in the apartment, were being helped by the American Red Cross of Hawaii last night.
A 20-year-old woman, her 7-month-old baby and a 10-year-old girl were at home when the fire started but were uninjured.
Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Chris Ah Mook Sang said the blaze started at about 5:12 p.m., when the 20-year-old was feeding her baby and noticed smoke coming from the back of the apartment.
The unit is on the top floor of a three-story complex located at 94-321 Pupuole St. About 20 firefighters arrived in five minutes and had the blaze under control by 5:24 p.m.
Before firefighters arrived, residents worked to put out the flames with the apartment's hallway hoses. When they got there, heavy black smoke was rushing out of the apartment's front door.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation last night.
The burned-out apartment was destroyed, and nearby units sustained some water damage, Ah Mook Sang said.
The residents of other apartments at the complex were allowed to return to their units last night, he said.
An estimate of the damage caused by the fire was not immediately available.