UPDATE: Kēōkea Home Destroyed by Fire

May 24, 2016, 9:09 AM HST
* Updated May 24, 7:19 PM

Listen to this Article
2 minutesLoading Audio... Article will play after ad...

A 65-year-old man suffered minor burns in a house fire reported on Tuesday morning, May 24, 2016 on Keanuhea Place in Kēōkea.

Maui fire crews responded to the incident at 7:59 a.m., and Kula firefighters arrived at 8:12 a.m. to find a residential structure fully engulfed in flames. The fire was brought under control at around 8:30 a.m. and extinguished at 10:56 a.m.

The injured man, who was the homeowner, declined medical treatment. Fire officials say the man was outside the home and was removing fuel from the fuel tank of a power generator using a wet/dry shop vacuum. The fuel ignited and the resulting fire spread to the rest of the home. The man’s wife was not at home. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

SWIPE LEFT OR RIGHT

The American Red Cross is assisting the man and his wife with food and clothing while relatives are assisting the couple with a place to stay.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

The one-story, 1,200 square foot home was a total loss according to Maui Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto. Damages were estimated at $165,000 to the structure, $50,000 to contents and $10,000 to a vehicle park outside the home.

The Maui Fire Department urges homeowners’ to exercise caution when using portable power generators around the home. “There have been a several instances of portable generators being used to power homes here on Maui, where an ensuing fire caused a substantial or total loss to the home,” said FSC Taomoto is a department press release.

Hawaiʻi Red Cross caseworkers will continue to follow up with anyone affected in the coming weeks to provide referrals, guidance or additional assistance as needed to help with the recovery process.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

The Red Cross encourages all families to make a disaster plan to include an evacuation plan with two different routes of escape, a communications plan to help families reconnect after disaster and a disaster supplies kit that is readily available to aid in a quick evacuation. Information on developing a family plan is available to the public at redcross.org/hawaii, or a brochure can be requested by calling 734-2101 or your local Red Cross office.

The Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization which provides assistance to meet the immediate emergency needs of those affected by disasters. All Red Cross assistance to disaster victims is free. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it depends on public contributions to help others. Your gift supports the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross in your community, across the country and around the world. To send a contribution, mail your check to American Red Cross, 95 Mahalani Street, Conference Room 3, Wailuku, HI 96793 or make a secure online donation at redcross.org/hawaii or call (808) 739-8109.

Previous post:

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Fire crews are on the scene of a house fire on Keanuhea Place in Kēōkea. The incident was reported at around 8:23 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.