New Year's Eve fatal fire unsolved
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Nearly a year after a Palolo woman died in a New Year's Eve house fire believed to have been caused by illegal aerial fireworks, police still have no clue as to who may have committed the crime.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Along with the annual celebrations this year, firefighters are bracing for another round of fighting fires, rescuing smoke inhalation victims and possibly recovering bodies.
A concrete foundation heralds a new Myrtle Street house on the lot where a New Year's Eve fire killed Lillian Herring.
At about 10:30 p.m. last Dec. 31, 81-year-old Lillian Herring was inside her Myrtle Street home when neighbors noticed fire near her carport that quickly spread to the house. The fire killed Herring and her two mixed-breed dogs.
Police say a homicide/manslaughter investigation is open, but after going door-to-door in the Palolo neighborhood looking for witnesses or leads, they have come up empty-handed.
Police spokeswo-man Michelle Yu said the case remains open but is not active.
"We interviewed several people using fireworks that night." Yu said. "People admitted to using them, but we found nothing to directly connect them with the fire."
The burned-out house sat empty for months after the fire, neighbors said, and was then torn down.
Today, the victim's daughter, Christine, is rebuilding a home on the small lot and a concrete foundation has been poured. The only reminder of the old house is a chain-link gate at the front of the property. A small twisted sign hung with bits of wire reads, "Beware of dog."
According to fire department officials, the fire probably started in stacks of stored newspapers Herring recycled each week to raise money for needy children overseas. Fireworks are considered the "probable cause" of the fire, but no evidence connecting the two has been found.
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Myrtle Street, a block of older, single-family homes on the 'ewa side of Palolo Valley, has returned to normal a year after fire trucks blocked the narrow lane and black smoke filled the air. American flags and Christmas decorations adorn the well-maintained homes.
Lillian Herring, 81, was killed in a New Year's Eve fire a year ago.
Kerry Krenzke, who lives on nearby Narcissus Place, hopes the New Year's celebrations will be quiet this year and that no one else will be hurt. He is worried about fireworks starting a fire that could quickly spread throughout the neighborhood.
"We are concerned because the houses are fairly close together up here," Krenzke said. "It's been quieter this year so far."
Krenzke, who doesn't use fireworks himself, said the neighborhood is very close knit and people often stop to talk as they walk their dogs or work in their yards. Every year, someone volunteers to set up a haunted house for the area children.
"People say they don't know their neighbors anymore, but this is a really different, active neighborhood," he said. "Lillian is missed. We have never heard anything about any suspects."
Palolo is one of the areas on O'ahu notorious for its use of illegal aerial fireworks, said HFD spokesman Capt. Kennison Tejada. Nationwide, 19 deaths were attributed to fireworks last year, either to the fireworks themselves or the fires they cause.
"It's pretty deadly, and it can have deadly results," Tejada said.
Three extra fire crews are scheduled to work New Year's Eve in anticipation of more fires.
"We never know what will happen," Tejada said. "We have to be ready for anything. There are so many sources of ignition available."
City officials expect firecracker sales will be down sharply this year because of the new permit system, now in its second year.
The permit system was created in reaction to complaints that firecrackers on New Year's Eve — traditional in Asian cultures to frighten evil spirits and bring good luck — had overrun the city with smoke and noise, creating health problems in the process.
Under the new law, permits cost $25 and can be obtained on O'ahu from city hall and satellite city halls through Monday.
Firecrackers can be purchased from licensed sellers until 9 p.m. New Year's Eve, and ignited only between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Novelty fireworks, which emit sparks and smoke, can be purchased without permits and are available at many retail stores.
Amy Entendencia, Lillian Herring's niece, said fireworks are a tradition in Hawai'i, but she hopes that people will learn a lesson from her aunt's death and not use aerials in crowded neighborhoods.
"It's just that people need to be more sensitive to others around them, especially if they are going to be doing illegal stuff they shouldn't be doing," Entendencia said. "There is a cost that comes with it. Sometimes the cost is innocent lives."
Entendencia has driven by the burned-out home only once since the fire and said it was "a gruesome sight."
She prefers to hold pleasant memories of her aunt and think of her as being in a better place now.
"Because my aunty was a woman that sought the Lord, we know where she is now and that gives us some comfort," Entendencia said. "Aunty would always make you laugh. We really miss her. ... We have been able to pull together as a family and move on."
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
