Pearl City blaze injures man, 82

An 82-year-old man suffered serious burns in Pearl City yesterday in a fire that might have been started by an arc welder.

It appears the man was using the arc welder for a hobby proj­ect when some items nearby caught on fire, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig. The cause remains under investigation.

Neighbors along Upalu Street smelled something burning and put out the flames with garden hoses at about 1:50 p.m., Seelig said.

Paramedics took the man to the hospital in serious condition, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said.

Museum worker indicted in theft

A woman who kept the books for the Mission Houses Museum confessed to stealing $50,000 from her employer and is facing felony charges in state court, said Vickie Kapp, deputy city prosecutor.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Judy Vierra with first-degree theft and use of a computer to commit the theft.

Kapp said Vierra made 33 unauthorized transactions from Aug. 31, 2008, to March 31, 2010, paying herself overtime and salary increases. When police confronted her about the transactions, Vierra confessed, Kapp said.