On June 18, 2026, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 6:04 a.m. and responded to a automobile on fire off Pali Highway in Kailua, in the Kailua bound lanes, beyond the tunnels, with five units, staffed with 19 personnel.
The first unit arrived on scene at 6:15 a.m., established command and reported a single involved vehicle, off of the highway and situated on an embankment. Fire fighters quickly determined that the automobile fire also included possible pinned occupants, upgraded the alarm response, and requested for additional resources. A fire attack was initiated to control the fire and the fire was extinguished at 6:26 a.m. Fire fighters ensured that the vehicle was stabilized, during which no occupants were found, still inside of the vehicle.
During fire attack operations, fire fighters also performed a search of the surrounding area and discovered one female victim, unresponsive in the brush, just below the embankment. A medical assessment was performed and determined the victim to be without any signs of life. Fire fighters secured the victim and utilized a rope rescue system to recover her from the brush.
Custody of the scene was transferred to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD).
All HFD personnel were accounted for, and no injuries were reported.