Unattended cigarette caused Ewa Beach fire that critically injured woman

Honolulu fire investigators say an early-morning fire that destroyed an Ewa Beach home and injured a woman Sunday morning was caused accidentally by an unattended cigarette.

The fire at 91-853 D Pohakupuna Road began in the living room and caused $80,000 worth of damage to the building and $5,000 to its contents, fire officials said last night.

One of the two people who live at the Pohakupuna Road house was home at the time of the fire and suffered life-threatening injuries. She is being treated at a burn unit at a hospital, the fire department reported.

Fire companies were dispatched at 12:51 a.m. The first fire company arrived at the scene at 12:55 a.m. The fire was reported under control at 1:02 a.m.