On January 13, 2021, at 4:36 p.m. the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) responded to a two-alarm building fire at 47-337 Waihee Rd. with 9 units staffed with 38 personnel. The first unit arrived at 4:38 p.m. to find a single family home with smoke emanating from the windows. Personnel established command, secured a water supply, and started initial fire attack. The fire was under control at 4:44 p.m. and fully extinguished shortly after. Personnel continued with overhaul operations to remove excess smoke and water from the affected areas. The fire was contained to the kitchen and living room area.
During the fire, one occupant living in the house was able to escape, but she sustained 1st and 2nd degree burns to her face and arms. Fire fighters tended to her burns and transferred care to EMS. The burns are estimated to cover 13% of her body. Patient was transported to Adventist Health Castle. Smoke alarms were not heard by the initial company on scene.
The fire was determined to have started in a frying pan on the range in the kitchen. The injured person remembers trying to fight the fire with a wet cloth. Damage estimates are $35,000 to the building and $5,000 to the contents.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires in the United States (NFPA.org). If trying to extinguish a fire in a pot or pan, slide the pot or pan’s lid over the vessel on fire and turn off the stove top. Let the pot or pan cool on the stove top. If you are unsure of the safety of the fire you just extinguished, call the fire department (911). We’ll come to investigate the extinguished fire.
