Fire erupts at Love's Bakery
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
A fire yesterday at the headquarters of Love's Bakery forced the evacuation of more than a dozen workers and prompted police to close Middle Street. No one was injured.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Eight fire companies responded to the 5:53 a.m. alarm at 911 Middle St. The crews had the fire under control at 6:08 a.m., said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo.
Love's Bakery employees were evacuated after a fire broke out in the company's Middle Street plant.
Acting Battalion Chief Leon Laba said the fire started in a vat used to fry pies and was contained to the vat. The fire caused minimal damage to the structure and tainted some foodstuffs, Soo said.
Love's President Mickey Coffman said the fryer cooks 10,000 "snack pies" a day. The pies are distributed throughout the state, he said.
Workers said they saw flames licking out from the edge of the covered fryer. In a span of minutes, flames reached an estimated 9 or 10 feet, enough to scare workers into calling 911, they said.
Police opened Middle Street about one hour later.
