Fire death at Palisades home ruled as suicide
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
The 76-year-old man who died in a Pacific Palisades house fire yesterday committed suicide, according to autopsy results released today.
The man, whose body was found in the rear left bedroom of a three-bedroom house at 2373 'Anini Place, died of burns from the fire. The death has been classified as suicide, said investigator Jimmy Annino of the medical examiner's officer.
Edward Keliinoi was a retired city public works supervisor.
Family members identified the man as Edward Keliinoi.
Fire and police investigators had determined that the fire was deliberately set. The fire spread rapidly because of the use of an accelerant, possibly gasoline, according to a source, who requested anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. The explosion neighbors heard was from the accelerant's vapors.
Keliinoi and his 70-year-old wife, Madeline, have lived in the house since 1966.
Marie Cabanting, the eldest of the Keliinois' six children, said her father took care of her mother, who suffered a stroke four years ago and has high blood pressure and Parkinson's disease.
Edward Keliinoi, a retired city public works supervisor, took good care of his wife, Cabanting said.
"He babied her," she said. "My father was really a good man."
Madeline Keliinoi was taken to Straub Hospital & Clinic, where she was treated for high blood pressure and released shortly after noon yesterday, said Cabanting.
Her mother will be cared for by family, added Cabanting.
Damage is estimated at $200,000 to the structure and $50,000 to contents, according to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane.
Yesterday's death was the sixth fatality caused by a house fire so far this year on O'ahu, compared with just one in all of last year.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Aveline Ho, a neighbor of the Keliinois, described the explosion as a "loud boom" and not the popping sounds of broken glass that are common at house fires.
Investigators say a house fire that killed a Pacific Palisades man was deliberately set. Neighbors say they heard a loud explosion.
"It was loud," Ho said. "I thought it came from the mountains. I ran outside to check my house because I smelled smoke, but I didn't see anything. I went back inside and one of my neighbors called about the fire. When I went back outside, I saw the flames."
Cabanting said one of her parents' neighbors called her about the fire.
The Keliinois moved from Palolo to Pacific Palisades, where they raised their six children.
In addition to his children, Edward Keliinoi is survived by 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
"My grandpa had a great sense of humor and enjoyed telling stories about himself," said 20-year-old Fred Cabanting Jr.
Staff writer Curtis Lum contributed to this report. Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8181 .
