Posted on: Friday, September 27, 2002

2 escape fire at Niu Valley home

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A fire that gutted a home in Niu Valley yesterday caused an estimated $150,000 damage to the structure and $3,500 damage to its contents. An adjoining home sustained $8,000 in exposure damage. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Two people escaped injury yesterday when an early morning fire gutted their Niu Valley home.

Firefighters from the Wailupe station responded to the 3:34 a.m. alarm in four minutes and found the wooden structure at 5743 Kalaniana'ole Highway engulfed by flames. Companies from Palolo, Hawai'i Kai, Kaimuki and Waikiki helped fight the fire, which was reported under control at 3:58 a.m.

A key factor was keeping the fire from spreading to a neighboring home. The two homes are separated by 30 feet of space and a hedge, said Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada. "The open space and hedge helped us contain the fire to one structure," Tejada said.

Damage to the gutted home is estimated at $150,000 to the structure and $35,000 to its contents. The adjoining residence sustained exposure damage estimated at $8,000.

A woman who lived in the home that was gutted was awakened by the fire in another room, Tejada said. She awoke her father in another room but as the two were making their way out of the house, the man went back to his room to get something, Tejada added. The woman made her way to safety through a side door and her father escaped from his bedroom window.

The American Red Cross offered help to the fire victims.

Fire investigators did not immediately determine the cause but suspected it was electrical in origin.