84-Year-Old Kīhei Woman Rescued from Accidental Home Fire

UPDATE:

A Kīhei woman is safe after an accidental fire at her Luakaha Circle home on Sunday afternoon.

Fire officials say the 84-year-old resident had caught a rag on fire while cooking earlier in the day and believed it was extinguished when she placed it in the trash.

An off-duty Maui firefighter, an off-duty Maui police officer and a bystander, were nearby and rushed to the home after noticing smoke and flames coming from the garage at around 2:16 p.m., acording to Maui Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto.

According to department reports, they entered the home and to see if anyone was inside and found the woman sleeping in a bedroom.  She was brought out through a back door and was uninjured in the incident.

The fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the structure and $50,000 to its contents. Among the losses was a vehicle that was parked in the garage, which was completely destroyed.

The woman will be staying with a family member until repairs can be made to the home.

Crews brought the fire under control at 2:39 p.m. and extinguished it at 4:09 p.m.

A battalion chief and five fire companies from Kīhei, Wailea and Kahului responded to the incident.

PREVIOUS POST: FIRE IN KIHEI: 2:22 p.m. 12.18.16

A structure fire was reported at the garage of a home on Luakaha Circle in Kīhei on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 18, 2016.

Firefighters worked to douse the fire and prevent the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes.

Witnesses on scene tell Maui Now that the fire appeared to have started in the garage of the home.

A woman resident was safe and no other homes were damaged in the incident, according to witness reports.

The home is located in the subdivision just north of the Piʻilani Village Shopping Center in South Maui.

**Check back for further details, which will be posted as they become available. 

Photos Courtesy: Chris Stankis

Photos Courtesy: Chris Stankis

Photo Courtesy: Chris Stankis

Kīhei, South Maui home fire 12.18.16. PC: Kristen Cole-Lanier