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Fire destroys Suisan warehouse in Hilo

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SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER / TIM WRIGHT
Hawaii County firefighters stood ready to put out hot spots Friday, at the Suisan warehouse behind Hilo Airport.
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SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER / TIM WRIGHT
An excavator dug into the Suisan warehouse Friday as a Hawaii County fireman looked on.

Firefighters responded to a large fire that engulfed a warehouse at Suisan Company Ltd. in Hilo. 

At about 10:32 p.m. Thursday, 24 firefighters responded to the blaze at the structure off Kamehameha Avenue in Waiakea that housed the company’s business and management offices. The fire was under control at 1:05 a.m. and extinguished at 3:30 a.m., according to a news release by the Hawaii County Fire Department. 

The blaze fully engulfed the western end of the structure. In an e-mailed statement, Suisan President Glenn Hashimoto said they are thankful no one was injured. "We are resilient and will work things out," he said. 

Operations continued Friday with no impact to its delivery fleet.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The company and its insurance carrier will determine the extent of the damage to the structure and its contents.

Suisan, a major Big Island fish and food and product distribution company was founded in 1907 by Japanese immigrants as a place for fishermen to sell their catch, according to its website. The company employs 175 people. 

Hawaii County Police closed Kamehameha Ave. extention near the warehouse as firefighters battled the blaze.

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