LIHU‘E — For most people without training in responding to a fire, the first thought might be to open windows and doors to let the smoke out. Big mistake, as that would add instant fuel (oxygen, air) to the fire,
LIHU‘E — For most people without training in responding to a fire, the first thought might be to open windows and doors to let the smoke out.
Big mistake, as that would add instant fuel (oxygen, air) to the fire, and could turn a manageable fire into an out-of-control inferno.
Kaua‘i Police officer Dean Martin, a native of the Kalaheo area, knows this, so when he was first on the scene at the Holy Cross Church fire last month, in addition to grabbing a garden hose he also instructed church staff and clergy not to open any doors or windows.
Faced with thick, black smoke, he went in to the church, armed only with his hose, and searched for the source of the fire, said Lt. Danilo Abadilla, Waimea district commander and Martin’s supervisor, during Friday’s regular meeting of the Kaua‘i Police Commission at the Historic County Building.
Martin turned off the electrical power, found the source of the fire, and by his “bravery” and quick action mitigated additional damage to the church, Abadilla said.
The church is now closed for repairs, with Masses being conducted in the church hall behind the church along Kaumuali‘i Highway.
Bishop Larry Silva of the Diocese of Honolulu took a brief tour of the facility Sunday, and parishioners believe a miracle took place because the entire wall where the blessed sacrament (bread turned into the body of Christ during Masses) is stored was burned and blackened except for the exact area where the Eucharist is stored.
Some of the parishioners even showed a picture they claim shows the church’s guardian angels watching over the area of the chapel left unstained by the fire.
Regardless, an oversized guardian angel who had a hard time fitting into the cramped seats of the council chambers due to his girth and gear, Martin, who had to go to work immediately after the Friday ceremony, happened to be in the nearby Kalaheo Neighborhood Center parking lot, working on his written reports, when the call came in about the church fire.
He arrived even before the Kalaheo station Kaua‘i Fire Department crew made it, even though the station also is very close to the church and adjacent to the neighborhood center, Abadilla said.
“Congratulations,” Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry said upon presenting Martin his August Officer of the Month certificate. “Fine job.”
