LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The hundreds of volunteers who baked colorful ceramic tiles, carved turtles and fishes into koa planks, stained hundreds of pieces of southern yellow pine and joined the Kamalani Pavilion together with long-lasting stainless-steel screws are gearing up to do it all over again three years later.

The pavilion, a classic little art-filled outdoor theater, has served since it was built in 2004 as a gathering place for family reunions, birthdays and other get-togethers in the county's sprawling Lydgate Park on the Wailua shoreline.

But during a cold spell three weeks ago, a man described as homeless lit a hibachi next to the wood frame to keep warm, and then wandered away. The heat ignited the hot-burning pine, and a few hours later on Feb. 8, only charred beams were left. The koa relief carvings were seriously damaged, as were recycled plastic benches nearby. But most of the ceramic tiles survived.

"It was a community building, and it has to be shown to the island that vandals can't take over. It's our civic duty to rebuild it. Otherwise it's a slap in the face of our island culture," said Kapa'a retiree Wayne Soma, who helped build the original and said he will help build its replacement.

The structure, like the nearby Kamalani Playground and Kamalani Kai Bridge, are monuments to a community's effort to strengthen itself, organizers said.

"It's building community, empowering kids to feel ownership of public places," said Tim Bynum, general coordinator for the playground and bridge projects, and now a member of the County Council. "All the concepts and ideas came from community ideas," he said.

The county, which owns the park and the pavilion, is in discussion about its insurance settlement, which the Kamalani volunteers hope to use to rebuild it. County Building Division chief Doug Haigh said he understands the goal is to rebuild it pretty much as it was.

But Kamalani Pavilion has never lived up to its initial billing, partly because it was designed as the meeting area for a community campground, a place Scouts, church groups and others could use when they tent-camped in the fields around it. But the County Council has never approved camping. Pavilion general coordinator Thomas Noyes said the Kamalani volunteers still hope the group-camping approval will come.

In the meantime, Kamalani Pavilion's fire could generate a second new pavilion. The organizers have been thinking about planning a second pavilion in a location more convenient for community events — perhaps a small amphitheater for dramas or other events. They've started organizational meetings and are calling for donations to help cover the costs.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.