An early morning fire charred a Pensacola Street home in Makiki on Tuesday — a property surrounding neighbors have complained about for years because of piles of rubbish and derelict vehicles on the lot.

The city has issued multiple warning letters to the property owner to clear litter and overgrowth and remove the abandoned vehicles.

Tuesday’s fire at the 5,000 square-foot property at 1421 Pensacola St., across from the Hawaiian Mission Academy, broke out just before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Huge flames and a plume of black smoke billowing from the property could be seen miles away by motorists on the H-1 freeway.

Nearly 40 firefighters brought the blaze under control at 6:46 a.m. and extinguished it at 9:20 a.m., said Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. Jeffrey Roache. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage to the structure and its contents was estimated at $300,000.

This is the second time a fire broke out at the property this year. In April a fire caused significant damage to the home.

City records show the single-family home was built in 1939 and owned by Rollin Yee. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Neighbors have complained for years of the property littered with buckets, bicycle tires, trash bags, mattresses and other miscellaneous items. The city issued Yee his first housing code violation notice in 2007.

Makiki resident Sharon Suzuki, who resides in an apartment on Pensacola Street, said she complained to the city about overgrowth on the property. During her walks around the neighborhood, she has observed through the front door miscellaneous items “stuffed” up to the ceiling of the residence when she walked by.

“I just hope they do something about this house,” Suzuki said as she and other area residents stood on the front lawn of the Hawaiian Mission Academy watching firefighters battle the fire.

A large mound of burned miscellaneous items was exposed within the charred frame of the structure on the lot once firefighters brought the fire under control.

In July 2018 a Circuit Court judge deemed the property unsafe and a public nuisance. A court order was issued authorizing the city to enter the property to remove rubbish and for Yee to pay for the cleanup.

The city hired a private contractor that removed 45 tons of waste and debris as well as four derelict vehicles from the site.

Curtis Lum, spokesman of the city Department of Permitting and Planning, said cleanup costs totaled $33,000. “We are still seeking reimbursement of this cost from the owner.”

The city also has placed liens on the property.

Yee has accumulated fines totaling $437,650 as of Tuesday for failing to comply with four notices of order to clear litter and abandoned vehicles from the property. “Two of the notices of order continue to accrue fines of $50 a day and $500 a day,” Lum said.

The city also issued a notice of violation to Yee following the fire in April after the owner failed to repair the damaged structure or demolish it.

“Over the years, the DPP has sent numerous warning letters to the owner stating that the fines were accruing and the violations needed to be corrected. There has been no response,” Lum said.