Na'alehu Information Update for February 18th, 2021
Fire destroys a warehouse structure at the Old Na'alehu Dairy in Ka'ū Wednesday evening (February 17th).
Published by: HIRSC - Hawaii Island (Holualoa) and Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) Team
info@hiradioscannercommunity.com
The Hawaii Fire Department (HFD) along with the Hawaii Police Department (HPD) responded to a report of a structure fire at the Old Na'alehu Dairy in Ka'ū Wednesday evening (February 17th).
The initial call came in at 7:56 pm Wednesday evening and HFD Crews from the Na'alehu, Pāhala, and HOVE Fire Stations along with Battalion 1, Volunteers from the Discovery Harbour and Na'alehu Stations, and HPD Officers from the Ka'ū Patrol responded to the scene located at the 95-5500 block of Mamalahoa Highway (area of the 63-mile marker) in Na'alehu.
Upon the arrival of emergency crews, numerous nearby residents reported heavy smoke and fire was showing from the rear of the Old Na'alehu Dairy (structure described as a large-sized warehouse-type dwelling) and upon further investigation, they determined no one was in the structure at the time of the fire report.
Once emergency crews arrived at the scene, HFD crews worked to gain control of the fire and prevent further spread to surrounding structures on the property. The owner of the property later confirmed no one was in the structure or occupied it at the time of the fire.
HFD crews encountered limited water supply at the scene and utilized numerous engines and tankers to shuttle water to the scene from a water supply source located down the road in Na'alehu town. Due to the stability of the structure involved, HFD crews went into a defensive fire fighting mode to gain control of the fire and a bulldozer arrived at the scene began demolishing parts of the unstable structure to assist with extinguishment efforts.
HFD personnel had the fire under control at 10:28 pm Wednesday evening and continued with overhaul operations. The fire was declared out at 11:24 pm and continued with wet down and mop-up operations.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, however, it was noted that the fire possibly started due to an electrical issue in the structure. No injuries to fire fighters and bystanders were reported.