3 people displaced in Kihei home fire; damages estimated at $115,000

PHOTO: Three people were displaced due to a home fire in Kihei on Monday night. The fire was reported on Auhana Road at 11:19 p.m. on April 15, 2024. Responding units included: Engine 6, Engine 5, Engine 14, Ladder 14, Hazmat 10, a battalion chief and a fire investigator. Firefighters arrived to find the home fully involved in fire. Crews extended hose lines to extinguish the fire and to protect neighboring residences, while confirming that all the occupants had successfully evacuated the structure. The fire was brought under control by 11:52 p.m., and crews concluded firefighting efforts at 2:57 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire is undetermined. Damages were estimated at $115,000 to the structure.
Maui Now

With rescues at unguarded shorelines up, Honolulu Ocean Safety dispatchers guide 911 callers to rescue tubes

VIDEO: Honolulu Ocean Safety dispatcher Jared Jovero knows how hard it is for witnesses to stand by and watch as a swimmer or surfer in need waits for help. The wait is especially tough when the rescue is from waters along an unprotected shoreline, where there is no lifeguard tower. That’s the case at Laie Point, where an 18-year-old woman recently jumped off the cliff into the water below but couldn’t get back on the rocks. Hawaii News Now has the 911 call from that day. The caller said the swimmer was getting tired and panicking. She can be heard in the background screaming for help. Jovero told the caller that first responders were on the way, but the nearest Jet Ski crew was at Pipeline, a distance of about 12 miles from Laie Point.
Hawaii News Now

Fire chief presents After-Action Report on Maui wildfires; recommends more stations, equipment

VIDEO: County of Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura and department leaders released the Department of Fire and Public Safety’s After-Action Report on the August 2023 Maui wildfires on Tuesday. The document, produced by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, covers all four major fires that began on Aug. 8, 2023. The document covers a time span that includes the pertinent conditions on Aug. 7, along with events and actions from Aug. 8-11, 2023, when the bulk of emergency response activity took place. “In the fire service, we don’t deliver perfection, but we do pursue it relentlessly,” said Chief Ventura. “Likewise, the After-Action Report (AAR) has 17 challenge areas identified and provides recommendations to strengthen our department.”
Maui Now

Hilo home destroyed in structure fire

No injuries were reported following a structure fire in Hilo early Tuesday morning. The call came in at 5:14 a.m. When Hawai‘i Fire Department responded to the single-family dwelling on Kaumana Drive, it was engulfed in flames and the occupant of the residence had already evacuated. Deputy Chief Eric Moller said crews received reports that the blaze started in the kitchen. At least one explosion, suspected to be a propane tank, was heard. Kaumana Drive between Wilder Road and Amau Road was closed for about an hour. Fire inspectors responded to the scene as well as Hawaiian Electric due to a down power line as well as the gas company. Moller said the home was a total loss. A vehicle also appeared damaged by the flames.
Big Island Now