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An electrical fault is blamed for a fire that caused $7,500 worth of damage to the second floor of building at a Lahaina gas station.
The fire was reported just after 3 p.m. Wednesday at a gas station on the corner of Kapunakea Street and Honoapiilani Highway in Lahaina.
Responding to the alarm, Lahaina firefighters saw smoke coming from the second-floor window of the building. Crews found a smoldering fire in the walls near an exhaust vent in the stairway leading to the second floor. Firefighters opened up the wall and extinguished the burning insulation at 4 p.m.
An employee reported smelling an odor and was searching for the source of the smoke for 30 minutes. Just before the employee left work, he discovered flames coming from an exhaust fan in the stairway. He extinguished the flames with a fire extinguisher, shut off power and called 911.
Investigators ruled the fire accidental, and contributed the cause to an electrical fault. No injuries were reported.
Listen to your nose. Your nose knows where the fire is.