WAILUA — A single-story home on Koukalaka Place in the Wailua Homesteads was damaged in a Friday fire.
The call came in just before noon and the fire was fully extinguished by 12:20 p.m. About a dozen fire trucks and emergency vehicles lined the street that was blocked off by the Kauai Police Department.
A 40-year old male occupant, who was home when the fire started, was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to Wilcox Medical Center.
The fire displaced five individuals.
Bystanders watched quietly from a lawn adjacent to the home. One of the home’s occupants, who declined to comment, stood silently next to another family member as they watched fire crews work.
“When can we go in?” he asked one of the firemen anxiously.
“In about an hour,” the fireman responded.
A few moments later, flanked on either side by fire officials, the man was escorted onto the property for a few minutes, looking at the charred remains.
Another man watching from the lawn said he was working with the man whose home was destroyed in the fire when they got the call about the blaze. He didn’t want to say much about the incident, but he was there to support his friend.
After the fire was extinguished, firefighters helped each other remove their gear. Battalion Chief Sol Kanoho watched diligently, making sure his men were OK.
“Gatorade, water,” he said, motioning to some of his men as he filled a cooler.
Dressed in fire gear and oxygen masks, two firefighters inspected the inside of the home, at times spraying the left side of the roof with their hose.
By press time Friday, no cost estimate had been released on the extent of the damages.
Kapaa firefighters were first on scene around noon. Firefighters were soon joined by personnel from the Lihue and Kaiakea fire stations.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross are assisting the displaced families.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Bethany Freudenthal, crime, courts and county reporter, can be reached at 652-7891 or bfreudenthal@thegardenisland.com.
