HANAPEPE — Remnants of an interior stairwell and sections of two walls are all that remain after a fire gutted a Hanapepe Valley home Tuesday night. No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was
HANAPEPE — Remnants of an interior stairwell and sections of two walls are all that remain after a fire gutted a Hanapepe Valley home Tuesday night.
No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was injured, fire department officials said yesterday.
Damages to the 3,100-square foot, two-story wooden home, are estimated at $500,000, with an additional loss of $200,000 in contents.
According to preliminary reports, the fire started when embers from an unattended wood-burning water heater ignited nearby flammable material.
Firefighters from the Hanapepe, Kalaheo, Lihu‘e and Waimea stations arrived at the scene within minutes after receiving a 7 p.m. alarm.
The fire was under control by about 8 p.m. and extinguished at 1:10 a.m.
Alfred Darling, executive director of the Kaua‘i branch of the American Red Cross, said that the two families that were living in the home are meeting with him today to discuss their immediate as well as long-term needs.
“We want to help them get through this ordeal and see what their options are,” Darling said in a county press release.
The Red Cross responded to the residential fire in the early morning hours yesterday. The fire destroyed the home of two families — six people total. Caseworkers met with the families to assist them with their immediate emergency needs of food, clothing and household goods. Over the next days and weeks, caseworkers will continue to provide the families with financial assistance, emotional support and referrals to assist with their disaster recovery.
The Red Cross encourages all residents to safeguard their homes from fire. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of the home. If people sleep with doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas. Use the test button to check each smoke alarm once a month. Replace all batteries at least once a year. Vacuum away cobwebs and dust from your smoke alarms monthly and replace every 10 years. Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers or a sprinkler system in your home.
The Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization which provides assistance for immediate emergency needs. All Red Cross assistance to disaster victims is free. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it depends on public contributions to help others. To help the Red Cross assist victims of this and other local disasters, send a contribution to: American Red Cross
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