Kalihi apartment fire caused by arcing in electrical outlet
Fire investigators have determined that a fire that caused an estimated $169,000 in damage to a Kalihi apartment Wednesday afternoon was caused by arcing in an electrical outlet.
Ten Honolulu Fire Department units staffed with 39 personnel were dispatched to the building fire at 828 Puuhale Road.
A man and woman who were in the second-floor apartment were able to escape without serious injury and were treated for smoke inhalation.
Damage was estimated at $154,000 to the structure and $15,000 to its contents.
In the aftermath of the fire, HFD officials recommended that residents have arc-fault circuit interrupters, which automatically shut off the circuit when unintended arcing occurs, installed by a qualified electrician.