Three displaced after battery explosion sparks Waipahu high-rise fire

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu firefighters responded to a three-alarm high-rise residential building fire in Waipahu that displaced three residents.

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On Sunday, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 10:57 p.m. for a fire at the Waipahu Towers condominium, located on Pupumomi St.

Knowing that this was a non-sprinklered apartment building and the 911 caller stated that the fire involved a battery that exploded, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm, dispatching additional resources.

The first unit arrived on scene at 11:04 p.m. and reported smoke emanating from the top floor of the eight-story apartment building.

Fire crews established a water supply and initiated an aggressive interior attack on an apartment unit on the eighth floor, bringing the fire under control at 12:06 a.m. and fully extinguishing it at 12:18 a.m.

During the fire attack, firefighters searched through thick, heavy smoke and low-visibility conditions for occupants on the floor where the fire originated.

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Searches resulted in finding four adults and two infants sheltering in place in different apartment units. HFD rescuers assisted them to safety and transferred their medical care to the on-scene Emergency Medical Services units.

All searches confirmed that all other occupants were able to safely evacuate the building.

Following extinguishment, crews conducted salvage and overhaul operations to eliminate remaining hot spots, ensuring the fire had not spread.

All HFD personnel were accounted for, and no injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was called to assist residents who were displaced as a result of the fire.

An HFD Fire Investigator has been assigned to determine the fire’s origin and cause and to assess the extent of damage.

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