Posted on: Thursday, September 2, 2004

Fatal fire's cause likely electrical

Advertiser Staff

The fire that killed a 12-year-old Kane'ohe girl Sunday was most likely started by an electrical problem, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.

HFD Capt. Emmit Kane said yesterday that although an official cause has not been determined, an electrical problem in Marika Quirit's bedroom probably was the cause of the blaze.

He said fire investigators have sent hardware, appliances and bits of wiring from the girl's room to a lab for testing and are awaiting the results before making an official determination.

Quirit died of smoke inhalation and thermal burns, according to the city medical examiner's office.