Police, firefighters and emergency medical services were called early Sunday morning to an apartment fire in Pepeekeo.
Police, firefighters and emergency medical services were called early Sunday morning to an apartment fire in Pepeekeo.
The fire damaged at least four units at the Kauhale Olu apartment complex at 28-2926 Kumula St., according to Sgt. Joel Field of Hawaii Police Department. Field said the fire started in a unit in J Building and damage appeared to be confined to that building.
“Could be a possible cooking fire. It’s still under investigation,” Field said at the scene shortly after 7 a.m. “They’re just mopping it up, ventilating it, and they’re going to take a quick sweep, make sure nobody’s in there. Everybody, so far, appears to be accounted for. All of the families in four individual units got out and they’re all accounted for.”
Early indications were that nobody was seriously injured.
“There were several people taken to the hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation. It looks like they’re going to be treated and released,” Field said.
There was no early count on how many residents were displaced by the blaze.
Hawaii Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hayashida said the alarm sounded at 5:28 a.m.
“There were a total of 12 HFD units that responded, a total of 22 HFD personnel and and there were eight patients that were treated and transported to Hilo Medical Center,” Hayashida said. “One unit was fire-related, as to damage, there was another due to smoke and I’m not too sure if there was water damage to units that were not on fire. That part is still under investigation.”
Police issued a notified at 6:45 a.m. that Kumula Street and Andrade Road from Highway 19 were closed to traffic. A notification that both were reopened was sent at 9:03 a.m.
This story will be updated in Monday’s Tribune-Herald.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.