An early morning fire today to a 40-foot shipping container spread to the loading dock at the Kona Target store.
A Fire Department statement lists the cause of the fire as “unknown” — but suggests the fire could be suspicious or even malicious in origin.
Sixteen fire units plus a county Department of Public Works backhoe responded to the 1:44 a.m. alarm, with the first unit arriving at 1:40 a.m. The fire was reported under control at 4 a.m. and extinguished at 4:30 a.m.
No one was injured.
According to the statement, the contents of the container were mixed merchandise including propane and helium gas cylinders, which were detonating.
A Meadow Gold truck driver arrived on scene and assisted by moving the container away from the building so that the fire could be extinguished.
Surveillance footage shows an individual in the area 16 minutes prior to the start of the fire.
The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage but firefighters saved an estimated $10 million-plus by confining the blaze to the container and the dock.