VEHICLE IGNITES SPARKING HOME FIRE IN MAKAWAO, MAUI

A vehicle accident on Lower Kula Road that occurred shortly before 5:00 pm today ignited a propane tank and resulted in both the vehicle and a house to catch fire. Fire officials report that the home was vacant at the time. An individual believed to be in the vehicle was critically injured as a result and transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center.

The fire caused damage to Hawaiian Telephone Company’s fiber optic cable that services the upcountry, Haiku, and Paia areas. Maui residents with phone number prefixes that begin with 572, 579, 575, and 878 have limited service. Until hawaiian Telephone Company is able to repair the damage, residents that are affected are able to receive and call only phone numbers with those prefixes and no others. 911 calls cannot be made until full service is restored to the affected areas. It is unknown if some cell phone services are impacted.

Impacted residents with phone number prefixes that begin with 572, 579, 575, and 878 are urged to call the Makawao Police Sub-Station at 572-8546 or the Paia Police Sub-Station at 579-9943 for 911 assistance if no cell phones are available.

The fire was extinguished around 7:30 pm and MPD has dispatched its traffic investigation unit to the scene.