The Friday afternoon three-alarm fire at Ewa Apartments at Kulana originated in Building U, unit 3, the Fire Department spokesman David Jenkins said.

The cause remains under investigation and may take a week or two, Jenkins said.

Damage to the two affected buildings (Buildings T and U) was estimated at $498,000 and $150,000 to their contents.

Fire had spread to six of the units. Electricity was cut to both buildings, so 22 people, four of which were children, from eight units were displaced. (A ninth unit was unoccupied.) Red Cross assisted with their immediate emergency needs.

The fire broke out just before 1:24 a.m., and a total of 11 fire companies responded.

A pit bull that lived at Apartment U3 received burns and scrapes, but managed to escape from the patio he was kept in. The family’s other dog, a Chihuahua named Uso, was killed in the fire. He was found dead inside the apartment. The family was not at home at the time of the blaze.

A bystander, a 26-year-old man, was injured while breaking glass while attempting to get people out.