KILAUEA — The North Shore Lions Club, represented by President Patrick O’Connell, Gary Pacheco, Bill Troutman and “future Lion” Justin Noble, were shocked by the damage that greeted them when they visited the Asuncion family to provide relief dosed with a healthy helping of listening ears.
“They are a good part of our community, and have been for a long time,” said O’Connell. “This is the right way to help. I’m glad the North Shore Lions can help.
The Lions provided $1,000 in gift cards to the family of Ted Asuncion that lost their home on A‘alona Street in a fire on Dec. 15. More importantly, and no financial value can be assessed, the Lions spent time listening to Patrice and Josephine Asuncion while offering neighborly advice and suggestions on help to clean the rubble.
“This was some heat,” Troutman said. “Aluminum melts at 1,500 degrees, and look at the aluminum ramps. The tops are melted off. I first saw the white smoke from where I live. Then, the smoke turned black and I said, ‘There goes someone’s roof.’”
When Hanalei firefighters arrived scene before 10:30 a.m., the home was engulfed in flames. They were joined by personnel from the Kaiakea, Kapaa and Lihue fire stations. The blaze was brought under control, and fully extinguished by about 1:30 p.m.
The family of three was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.
“I was at home, having a meeting with a business associate in the driveway because Mama was sleeping,” Patrice Asuncion said. “Everything happened so fast. I saw some smoke, and the next thing I knew, a neighbor was pounding the walls, yelling, ‘Fire! Get out of the house! Fire!’ I ran into the house to get Mama and the three dogs. By this time, there were flames, and another two minutes, we wouldn’t be here.”
Patrice said Josephine was inside the home, still weak in recovery from a surgery in November, and uses a walker to move around.
“I was sleeping,” Josephine said with a smile of appreciation that beamed brighter than the morning sunshine. “I smelled smoke and opened my eyes. I saw the picture of my husband and I thought I would go back to sleep. But somebody, or something was poking me in the back. I got up, opened the door and there was fire everywhere — OMG! I never had my purse or my phone, and I said, ‘Lord, help me.’ I saw my neighbors and we left. When we got out, I said, ‘Thank the Lord! We made it.’”
By that time, the house was fully engulfed in flames.
“I wanted to go back and get more things,” Patrice said. “But no. The car — it’s an electric Prius — exploded. The truck exploded, and then the tractors, the containers of gas for the tractors, and the tanks my husband uses for diving. It was a war zone with everything burning!”
The fire resulted in the total loss of the home. Fire inspectors estimate damages to the structure and its contents to be about $420,000. An investigation into the cause continues.
“This was a good home,” Patrice said. “It went through two hurricanes, and now. It all happened so fast.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
