Malfunction in wiring blamed for fire at UH
A wiring malfunction inside a wall led to a stubborn fire in University of Hawaii Lower Campus Building 171 on Sunday that caused $1.25 million in damage, a Fire Department spokesman said Tuesday.
Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said an investigator saw a segment of wire where there was "a buildup of heat." That led to the fire that grew in the wall of the portable building, then entered the room and extended to the roof, where it smoldered in multiple layers of wood, corrugated metal sheeting, paper and tar.
"All that composite together on top of the roof made kind of a sandwich that hid the fire until we saw smoke coming from the eaves after we had controlled the fire within the room," Seelig said. "We discovered that the whole roof was on fire, and it shortly failed after that."
Firefighters classified the fire as unintentional but don’t know the cause of the malfunction because that would require expensive lab tests. "It’s beyond our ability to say," Seelig said. "But we do see evidence of it building up heat and radiating into the wood in that location."
2 Australian surfers rescued off Haleiwa
Two Australian surfers spent several hours clinging to a surfboard Monday night after being swept out to sea in high surf off Oahu’s North Shore.
The surfers, ages 21 and 26, were reported missing near the Jocko’s surf break in Laniakea at about 7:45 p.m.
A Fire Department helicopter began searching for them at about 8 p.m., and the Coast Guard launched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at about 9 p.m. At about 10:30 p.m. the Coast Guard helicopter rescued the surfers, who were holding onto the surfboard about a mile offshore of Haleiwa. The men were flown to Alii Beach Park.
A swell peaked Monday afternoon with wave faces of up to 20 feet on the North Shore.
A 6-foot surfboard, described as a white thruster with a black deck tab, three black fins and a sticker that says "Bradley," was left behind during the rescue. The Coast Guard requests that anyone who finds the board call Coast Guard Sector Honolulu at 842-2600.
Kau man arrested after stabbing at store
Hawaii County police arrested a Kau man after a stabbing Monday evening at the Ocean View Town Center.
Kau patrol officers responded to a 7:46 p.m. call Monday and learned that a 44-year-old Ocean View man had been shopping with his wife at a convenience store when a man he knew confronted him and challenged him to a fight.
The acquaintance allegedly lunged at the victim and stabbed him on the left side of his body near the ribs. As the victim turned to flee, he was stabbed in the back of his neck. The assailant fled in a white pickup truck.
Police said the victim was in stable condition in Kona Community Hospital.
Police arrested the suspect at 8:36 p.m. at a house in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision. He was being held at the Kona police cellblock while detective investigated the case.
