Portable gas stove caused house fire

A fire investigator determined that a Pearl City house fire Thursday was caused by a portable gas stove on the back porch.

Damage to the home at 98-1676 Hoomaike St. was estimated at $175,000 to the building and $15,000 to its contents. Heat-exposure damage to a neighboring home was estimated at $10,000.

Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly partly because the fire station is just a half-mile from the home, said fire Capt. Earle Kealoha.

The 11:30 a.m.-alarm fire had the first unit on scene at 11:45 a.m. Firefighters brought the blaze under control at 11:52 a.m. and had it put out by 11:56 a.m.

Man hurt in home-invasion robbery

Big Island police are looking for a suspect in a home-invasion robbery in Hilo on Thursday.

Police reported a thin man, wearing a dark nylon stocking over his face and a dark stocking cap, entered a Hilo home armed with a silver pistol.

Police said the resident, a 59-year-old man, reported that the masked man had entered his Kinoole Street home through the back door, confronted him and told him to secure his dog.

After he secured his dog in a kennel, the suspect hit him over the head, and he fell unconscious, police said.

When he came to, the resident found he had been bound and gagged with duct tape.

The suspect fled with an undetermined amount of cash, police said.

The resident was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was treated and released, police said.

The suspect weighs about 160 pounds and was wearing blue jeans and a dark, long-sleeve shirt. He spoke pidgin.

Anyone with information concerning this robbery is asked to call Lt. Mitchell Kanehailua at 961-2252 or the police nonemergency number at 935-3311. Anonymous calls may be made to CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.

Robber assaults man on Tantalus

Police are looking for a man who robbed a 48-year-old man who was standing outside his car in the Tantalus lookout area at 9:50 a.m. yesterday.

Police said the suspect struck the man from behind, causing him to fall.

The suspect had displayed a weapon and demanded all his money, police said. The victim complied and the suspect fled, police said.