Police investigating fatal home fire in Mountain View

The Hawaii Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fatal fire on Huina Road in Mountain View late Sunday night, while police investigate the death of the victim, a 76-year-old woman.

At about 11:13 p.m., Puna Patrol officers and Hawaii Fire Department personnel responded to a reported structure fire in the 17-4400 block of Huina Road. Upon arrival, they found a single-family residence about 70% engulfed in fire and the woman unaccounted for.

The woman, according to police, told her 79-year-old husband there was a fire in their garage. The man attempted to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire had already spread. Unable to get back into the home, he went to a neighbor’s house to call 911.

When he returned, he was unable to locate his wife and feared she may have been trapped inside, police said.

The homeowner told firefighters he had guns and ammunition in various locations within the dwelling. Firefighters instituted an initial quick search of the residence with negative findings due to condition of fire, and danger of munitions.

Initial offensive strategy changed to defensive, with successful containment of fire to footprint of dwelling, and sleeping area saved from collapse.

HFD Chief Kazuo Todd on Monday afternoon told the Tribune-Herald his personnel were still at the scene investigating. He added that the condition of the garage hampered that effort, but there’s no initial indication the fire was intentionally or maliciously set.

“There was so much stuff in there, as much as eight vehicles, multiple propane tanks, lots of flammable items and just other stuff,” Todd said of the garage.

After the fire was extinguished, a severely burned body was discovered in the structure’s remnants.

Police Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigations Section said there is no evidence of foul play.

“We have to have an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Once the autopsy is performed, if it was determined that the death was not from the fire, we will investigate that. As far as determining the cause of the fire, that’s the function of the fire inspector.”

“It’s a tragic situation,” Amon-Wilkins added.

The structure, valued at approximately $224,000, and its contents were a total loss.

Police ask anyone with information about this case to call Detective Daniel Tam at (808) 961-2380 or email daniel.tam@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters may also call the police department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com