HONOLULU

Man hospitalized after truck fire

Firefighters extinguished a truck fire that sent up large clouds of black smoke yesterday, surprising motorists along Kalanianaole Highway near Hawaii Loa Ridge.

Bryan Cheplic, Department of Emergency Services spokesman, and police said a man in his 30s was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital in serious condition with second-degree burns.

The fire started at about 1:20 p.m. near Puuikena Drive. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and were investigating the cause, said Honolulu fire Capt. Robert Main.

Students evacuate due to blaze

Heald College students were evacuated yesterday after a fire started on the outside of the building at 1500 Kapiolani Blvd., causing $50,000 in damage.

Honolulu fire Capt. Robert Main said the fire started at 4:46 p.m. The fire burned roofing material outside the building above the fourth floor.

Smoke went into the air-conditioning system and spread throughout the building, he said.

Firefighters cleared the building except for the street-level shops because the shops are on a different air-conditioning system.

Twenty-eight firefighters extinguished the blaze at 5:07 p.m. Investigators were looking for a cause.

Officials say fires were accidental

Honolulu Fire Department investigators determined that two fires earlier this week were started accidentally.

A two-alarm fire that destroyed a single-family home in Kaneohe on Sunday was caused by unattended cooking, fire Capt. Terry Seelig said in a news release.

The investigator determined that the residents had a pot of oil on a stove burner, which was left on when they went out.

The fire destroyed the home at 45-137 Mahalani Place, causing $570,000 in damage to the contents and structure. Two adults and three children were left homeless.

On Tuesday a Hawaiian Electric Co. substation caught fire at 2499 Kapiolani Blvd. and damaged a transformer.

The fire started when a cable connection to a transformer failed. Fire investigators did not have a damage estimate.

Bomb unit deploys to Hotel Street

Police closed Hotel Street between Smith and Nuuanu streets for more than an hour and a half last night to investigate a suspicious item that apparently looked like a large firecracker.

An officer came upon the device at 6:21 p.m., police said. The police bomb unit picked up the device to dispose of it.

Police reopened the street after 8 p.m.