Posted on: Thursday, December 27, 2001

Stove fire guts Eggs 'n Things kitchen

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

A smoky two-alarm fire gutted the kitchen of the Eggs 'n Things restaurant at 1911B Kalakaua Ave. last night and forced dozens of residents to evacuate the condominiums above.

The restaurant was closed when the fire broke out at about 7:30 p.m., and no one was injured.

"Most of the flame damage was in the kitchen, where a stove had been left on," HFD Capt. Kennison Tejada said. "The rest of the restaurant had smoke damage."

Plumes of smoke billowed from the rear of the building and from a ventilation shaft on the roof as firefighters arrived on the scene, and residents from the Kalakauan condominiums fled into the street.

Hugo Okonogi left the building when he smelled smoke, then went back inside to retrieve his four love birds and a conure to make sure they would be safe with him.

"The smoke was really thick, and people were evacuating like rats leaving a sinking ship," he said while the birds squawked nervously. "They were really hot-footing it out of the building, no pun intended."

Dale Jones said he banged on doors throughout the building to make sure no one was left behind.

"It smelled like tires were burning, and it was pouring out of the ventilator," he said.