Smoking material caused blaze

A fire that caused $25,000 in damage to the exterior of an apartment building in Kaimuki was caused by improper disposal of smoking material, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins said Friday.

A man escaped the fire, which broke out Thursday afternoon at the second-floor unit of the apartment building on Palolo Avenue.

Jenkins said the man was at home at the time, heard the fire and evacuated without injury.

The two-alarm fire in the building, 1210 Palolo Ave., was reported at 1:05 p.m., and the first firefighters arrived at 1:08 p.m. Thirty-four firefighters responded and brought the blaze under control at 1:16 p.m.

Teen arrested on assault charge

A 13-year-old girl at a Waianae-area school was arrested Thursday after she allegedly assaulted an education worker after being removed from a classroom for causing a disturbance.

The incident occurred at 12:50 p.m., and mthe student was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault on a 49-year-old man.

The student was released later that day pending further investigation.

2 suspects held in vehicle thefts

Two men were arrested in separate incidents involving motor vehicle thefts early Friday morning.

One man was arrested during a traffic stop at Maliona Street in Maili at 1 a.m., and the other was apprehended at 12:34 a.m. at Kaumualii Street in Kalihi, Honolulu police said.

Police said the man arrested in Kalihi stole the vehicle from a woman and was later found down the road in the vehicle.

Details on the Maili case were not available. Both men were being held by police, pending investigation.