Fires destroy 'Aiea, Kane'ohe homes
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer
Yesterday's heavy rains couldn't stop fires from destroying houses in 'Aiea and Kane'ohe yesterday.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
A 2:45 p.m. fire gutted a two-bedroom house at 98-918 Kaamilo St. in 'Aiea, authorities said. Four hours later, fire destroyed a house on Kane'ohe Bay Drive.
Firefighters and almost continuous rain could not save an 'Aiea house that was destroyed by fire yesterday. A second blaze four hours later destroyed a house on Kane'ohe Bay Drive. Apparently no one was injured in either fire.
"If a home is going to burn, it's going to burn inside-out," said Capt. Tenison Tejada, Fire Department spokesman.
Five fire companies responded to the Ka'amilo Street alarm, but the fire had taken hold of the modest home by the time the first truck arrived, Tejada said.
"A neighbor was in the front of the house shooting the fire down with his own hose," Tejada said. " 'Aiea (fire company) was the first to respond and it was able to knock it down and hold it until other companies arrived."
A steady rain fell in the hillside neighborhood and water ran inches deep in the gutters.
No one was home at the time of the fire and the department was unable to reach the owner or any of the residents, who are believed to be renters.
Tejada said damage to the building was estimated at $140,000; damage to the contents, $30,000. A Honda parked in the carport was also destroyed, he said.
In looking for the cause of the fire, investigators are focusing on the living room, Tejada said.
Neighbors on either side of the house said they were grateful for the rainy weather and believed it kept the fire from spreading to their homes, less than 20 feet from the blaze.
Neighbors said a woman and her son lived in the home. The neighbors thought she might be off-island because her car was home and she wasn't. The son was working, they said.
Lavaina Ching, who lives across the street, said the fire went quickly through the living room.
"All I saw was a concentration of flames by the front door, then I saw the Christmas tree go up in flames," Ching said.
The Kane'ohe Bay Drive fire left a couple, their 2-year-old son and their dog homeless.
The fire was reported at about 6:45 p.m. and was under control by 7:10 p.m., Tejada said. Five fire companies responded to the alarm.
Advertiser staff writer James Gonser contributed to this report.
