Model airplane battery blamed for Palolo blaze
A fire that damaged a Palolo garage Saturday was caused by a model airplane’s battery malfunctioning, firefighters said.
The fire caused $89,000 in damage to the structure and its contents, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kevin Mokulehua.
No one was home while the plane was being charged in the detached garage in the 3600 block of Keaolele Place.
The airplane’s lithium ion battery failed, sparking the blaze at about 1 p.m., Mokulehua said.
About 45 firefighters responded and found heavy black smoke coming from the one-story structure. They extinguished the blaze by 1:48 p.m.