A fire that gutted a one-bedroom unit and damaged several others in a Waikiki high-rise condominium yesterday was caused by an electrical malfunction, fire investigators determined.

The fire on the eighth floor of the 33-story Aloha Lani at 2211 Ala Wai Blvd. late yesterday morning left a young couple homeless. The man and woman were not home when the fire began.

Fire investigators believe it was started by an electrical short, possibly in a power strip or such as a laptop computer, said Capt. Terry Seelig, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

The fire cause about $225,000 in damage to the unit. Four other units sustained heat, smoke or water damage.

The 359-unit condominium was built in 1976 before updated building codes requiring individual units to have smoke detectors. A building fire alarm did sound, alerting residents.