KIHEI, Maui » Kihei resident Robert Herbst said he was walking out of his bedroom Sunday after midnight when he heard a loud "poof" and the house shook from a nearby car being engulfed in flames.
Then he said he heard the sound of several people outside his home on Namauu Street.
"I heard, ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha. Get in! Get in!’" said Herbst, who said he saw a car with several people drive out of sight up the street.
The car fire was one of three in the span of five hours in South Maui on Sunday night and Monday morning that Maui police detectives are investigating, police spokesman Lt. Wayne Ibarra said.
Ibarra said Monday that police had no suspects but that the three fires were intentionally set.
The first occurred at about 10 p.m. Sunday at 851 S. Kihei Road, when the rear of a van was set ablaze.
The Mercury Grand Marquis outside Herbst’s home, belonging to a tenant, was reported on fire at 12:50 a.m. Monday at 143 Namauu St.
Then at about 2:23 a.m. at 555 Kaukahi St. near the Wailea Hotel, a Jeep Wrangler was destroyed and a Ford Edge was damaged.
FIRE officials said the third blaze caused an estimated $27,500 in damage to both vehicles.
Other damage estimates were unavailable.
Herbst’s mother, Donna, said the Mercury was just purchased by the tenant.
Donna Herbst said heat from the fire was so intense, it burned a nearby water hose. During the height of the fire, she said she was afraid the flames might cause the gas tank on the Mercury to explode.
"It’s going to blow up," she recalled herself yelling to her son and other people in the house.
Residents in the area said luckily the fire was put out before the gas tank could explode.
