Two House Fires in 3 Weeks

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Two structure fires destroyed the homes of two Ho’olehua families within a few weeks of each other.

A fire that destroyed a home on Mo’omomi Ave. in Ho’olehua last Saturday left four residents displaced. Two people were in the house at the time of the fire and made it out safely, with no injuries reported, the Maui Fire Dept. said. Total loss to the home was estimated at $180,000.

The fire was reported around noon on April 10. When units arrived on the scene, the single story home was fully engulfed. Fire crews got the blaze under control in about 30 minutes, and fully extinguished by 1:30 p.m, according to fire officials.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, with the preliminary cause determined to be accidental, according to the MFD.

That was the second Ho’olehua home to burn within three weeks. On the night March 24, a couple lost everything in a fire that nearly burnt their house to the ground. They and their animals were uninjured. MFD didn’t respond to multiple requests for additional information on this fire.

GoFundMe pages have been set up for both families affected by the fires, and friends are helping them raise money to rebuild.