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Honolulu firefighters were kept busy battling two brush fires and a building fire yesterday.
At 11:26 this morning, the Honolulu Fire Department received a call about a brush fire along the H-2 freeway by the southbound lanes near the Kipapa Bridge. The fire burned through about 100 square feet of grass, and firefighters had it extinguished in 30 minutes.
At 11:31 a.m., another brush fire was reported farther south near the H-2 merge with the H-1 freeway. It was about 300 square feet large. Firefighters had it under control by 11:44 a.m., and extinguished by 12:28 p.m.
Fire spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said investigators consider the brush fires suspicious because of the proximity of time and location.
"But they weren’t able to determine the cause," Seelig said. "There was no obvious reason. No electrical work was being done in the area, and there was no evidence of ignition."
At 12:08 p.m., firefighters responded to a garage fire at an apartment at 1221 Maunawili Road. A smoke alarm alerted a woman who was home at the time.
The fire burned through some drywall and caused a few thousand dollars in damage, Seelig said. It was under control by 12:19 p.m., and extinguished nine minutes later.
Seelig said the garage fire is a "perfect example" of how a smoke alarm can save lives. He noted that Fire Prevention Week begins next week, and this year’s theme is based on smoke alarm installation.
