Updated at 5:39 p.m., Sunday, May 6, 2007
Electrical short caused Wai'alae Iki fire
Advertiser Staff
An electrical short started today's fire that caused $300,000 damage to a Wai'alae Iki Ridge home.No one was injured in the blaze reported at 11:04 a.m. at 1423 La'amia Place.
A couple, their adult child and a dog were home when the fire broke out, but all escaped without injury.
Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said investigators determined the short was in wiring on the upper floor next to the bedroom.
In addition to the structural damage, loss to contents was estimated at $50,000, said Seelig.
The Hawai'i chapter of the American Red Cross was called to assist the family.
Seelig said the family smelled smoke, saw the fire and called for help. Firefighters arrived at the scene at 11:11 a.m. and brought the blaze under control at 11:54.
Seelig said the design of the three-story home and its location on a slope posed problems for firefighters. The fire spread along the roofline inside the attic.
"This type of house has two A-frames with a flat roof in between and it all slopes down the hill," Seelig said. "Getting to the fire was a difficult operation, but we were finally able to expose enough of the roof that we were able to control the fire."
