One home was destroyed and others damaged in a fire Wednesday morning in Hilo
Hawaii Fire Department was dispatched at 10:31 a.m. after receiving an alarm for a possible fire underneath a home on Kou Lane, perpendicular to Puueo Street in Wainaku.
East Battalion Chief Matthias Kusch said the resident was home at the time and attempted to extinguish the blaze, but it quickly got out of hand.
When fire crews arrived, the 600- to 700-square-foot house was engulfed on all sides, he said.
Kusch said homes along the lane are spaced “very tightly.”
According to Kusch, a duplex on the north side of the home that caught fire was showing signs of heat impingement and sustained superficial damage, while the corner of the home on the south side caught fire and extended up into the attic.
Fire units made entry and extinguished the corner and attic, he said.
Kusch said the initial home was a total loss.
The Red Cross responded to assist the resident.