1,100 evacuated at resort on Maui after laundry fire
| • | N.Y. firm buying Maui resort |
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILEA, Maui — A fire that began in the laundry room at the Four Seasons Resort Maui yesterday caused the evacuation of more than 1,000 people and the overnight relocation of guests from as many as 100 rooms, officials said.
The 12:46 p.m. fire flared for nearly two hours in the hotel's duct system, from the first floor to the roof atop the seventh floor, before firefighters got it under control, said Assistant Chief Alan Cordeiro of the Maui County Department of Fire Control.
The fire was contained to a chute and the laundry room, but firefighters battled both heat and limited access, Cordeiro said.
"It was a working fire with a lot of heat and smoke," he said.
The fire was extinguished at 3:38 p.m. by crews that came from as far away as Kahului.
No one was seriously injured. One firefighter suffered a minor knee injury, Cordeiro said.
Officials are investigating the cause of the fire. Hotel officials said lint ignited in a laundry exhaust vent in the resort's North Tower.
Cordeiro said no damage estimates were available, although the fifth floor suffered extensive smoke damage as well as water damage from the sprinkler system.
Jim Kennedy, resort spokesman, described the damage as "minor," though severe enough to shut down the laundry for about a month.
"We have a huge supply of extra linens. It looks like we'll be using all of what we've got over the next month," he said.
About 1,100 guests and staff members waited outside for at least 2 1/2 hours before officials announced it was safe to return.
Kennedy said some guests in the hotel's North Tower were moved to other Wailea hotels.
The resort has 380 rooms and was expected to be at near-capacity last night, he said.
Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
