Honolulu fire investigators have confirmed that a fire at an auto body shop in Wahiawa that resulted in nearly $600,000 damage on Thursday was intentionally set.
It took eight fire companies with 34 personnel about a half-hour to to extinguish the main fire, which was first reported about 3:30 p.m. at the Jetso Auto Center on Palm Street.
The fire caused $480,000 in damage to the structure, $100,000 to its contents and an additional $10,000 to vehicles located outside the structure on the same property, according to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins.
Police at the scene on Thursday detained an unidentified man after a witness said they saw him leave the building after the fire started. The man was taken to the Castle Medical Center for a psychological evaluation.
Fire investigators determined that an accelerant was used in setting the fire, Jenkins said.
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