Hawaii County firefighters had to respond to two separate fires over the 9th and 10th of September, with one taking place in the volcano district, while the the other was in Pepe’ekeo.
The first blaze broke out at a home on Nahelenani Street in Volcano at around 6:15pm on the 9th September, and when the fire crews arrived on the scene, the single-story home was already fully engulfed in flames.
At the time the fire started, three people were inside, which left one adult male suffering from burns as a result of trying to put out the fire, tot he point he was taken to Hilo Medical Center in serious condition. The other two residents were both taken to the hospital for precautionary measures, and both of which were children.
After 20 minutes, two crews successfully managed to get the fire under control – which at time of writing, remains a mystery in the sense it’s unclear as to what started it – with the fire being fully extinguished at around 8:20pm, having caused around $80,000 worth of damage.
At around 5:30am on the 10th September, fire crews were deployed to the Kauhaleolu Apartments in Pepe’ekeo, and after arriving at the two story building in question, fire crews not only found the upper floors completely involved in the blazes, but the fire was also threatening nearby buildings.
Thankfully, all residents successfully managed to escape the building, but eight people had to be taken to the Hilo Medical Center with undisclosed injuries.
Investigators have since ruled that unattended cooking started the blaze, and firefighters had it extinguished in half an hour. At present, a damage estimate wasn’t immediately available, and displaced residents are being aided by the American Red Cross.
