16 left homeless after fire in Aliamanu
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Fire investigators last night were trying to determine the cause of a fire that damaged a military townhouse complex in Aliamanu and left 16 people homeless.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
No one was injured in the fire, which was spotted by military police at 7:10 p.m. at 1225-B Milo Place on the Aliamanu Military Reservation. The fire damaged two units, according to military police, and two other units sustained smoke and water damage.
Federal firefighters use a ladder arm to wet down the roof of an Aliamanu townhouse that was the home of Navy families. Fire damaged two units; two other units had smoke and water damage.
Federal and city firefighters responded to the alarm, with the first company arriving at 7:21 p.m., said Capt. Stacy Bathrick, an Army spokeswoman.
The fire was reported under control about 7:50 p.m., Bathrick said.
Debbie Carter, who lives at 1225-B Milo Place, said her family of six was eating dinner when military police knocked on the door and told the family to evacuate the unit.
No one was at home in the other three units. Military police entered the units and saved the pets found inside, Bathrick said.
"I looked on our lanai and saw the glow of a fire," Carter said.
"We ran out and waited for the fire trucks to get here and watched our house go up in flames."
Carter said a charcoal grill was cooling down on their lanai after they had cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. The grill was covered, she said.
The displaced residents, seven adults and nine children, were sent to The Plaza Hotel on Nimitz Highway, Bathrick said.
The four units were the homes of Navy families, according to Bathrick, who said damage estimates were pending.
