Posted at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2001

Waipahu fire leaves 15 homeless

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Fifteen people were left homeless today when a fire swept through the second floor of a Waipahu home, a fire official said.

Firefighters responded to the 10:42 a.m. alarm at 94-371 Kahualena St. and had the blaze under control at 10:55 a.m., said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo. Three fire companies battled the fire.

The fire gutted the second floor, while the ground floor suffered water damage, Soo said. The fire also damaged a neighboring house at 94-365 Kahualena St.

No one was home on the second floor when the fire started in the kitchen or bedroom, Soo said. Four people were home on the ground floor and two construction workers were working on the home at the time of the fire. All of them escaped without injuries, Soo said.

A family of seven people lived on the second floor and eight people lived on the ground floor, Soo said.

A fire investigator was trying to determine the cause of the fire. The fire caused estimated damages of $100,000 to the building and $40,000 to the contents, Soo said. The Red Cross was assisting the families.