Firefighters responding to an early Friday morning automobile fire in lower Puna got more than they bargained for — an additional fire of an unpermitted nearby structure.
Three units responded to the 5:26 a.m. alarm with the first unit arriving at the Kamalii Road scene at 5:44 a.m. Responders found not only the automobile, but a 30-foot by 30-foot structure about 200 feet away totally involved in flames.
Firefighters made the structure fire their priority and a unit returned later to extinguish the vehicle fire. The structure fire was reportedly under control at 6 a.m. and extinguished at 6:45 a.m.
There were no occupants or bystanders on the scene and no injuries were reported.
The fire closed Kamalii Road for about an hour, with traffic rerouted to Kapoho-Kalapana Road.
Firefighters turned the scene over to police for further investigation.