HANAMA‘ULU — Firefighters responded to a large fire in Hanama‘ulu that broke out Friday afternoon, causing extensive damage to several businesses. No one was reported injured.
Firefighters reported the Hanama‘ulu Trading Company building, at 3-4251 Kuhio Highway, was fully engulfed by the time they arrived at the scene and the blaze damaged at least three adjacent buildings.
“The flames spread quickly,” said Kaua‘i resident Karen Gaetjens, who witnessed the fire from the beginning.
She said she was waiting for a bus across the street from Hanama‘ulu Trading Company and noted the winds picked up, causing orange flames to shoot out of the building.
Hanama‘ulu Trading Company houses the U.S. Post Office and at least five other businesses, including TJ Variety Store, Amorin Barber Hale, Hair Vibrations, Arrangements by MJRM and the New Beginning Christian Center.
There was no official word on the cause of the fire by press time, but it appears the fire started at the New Beginning Christian Center, according to Peter Riopta, who lives across the street from Hanama‘ulu Trading Company.
County officials said the building is being considered a total loss.
A problem with a fire hydrant may have caused delay in the fire response. Chatter picked up from a police scanner revealed that firefighters may have had trouble opening the fire hydrant, and an eye witness said she saw the struggle.
Gaetjens said she watched firefighters struggle to open the fire hydrant, and that she was concerned that the fire could have caused an explosion at the nearby Hanama‘ulu Restaurant Teahouse.
“It’s kinda scary,” she said. “(The fire) got exponentially bigger.”
Police closed Kuhio Highway in Hanama‘ulu, between Hanama‘ulu Road and Laukona Street, and diverted traffic through the neighborhood, besides asking motorists to avoid the area altogether.
Firefighters deemed the fire to be under control by 4:28 p.m., but they remained on scene until the blaze was fully extinguished.
Those who need to use services the services of the Hanama‘ulu Post Office are asked to use the Lihu‘e Post Office.
The cause of the fire was unknown by press time.
