Fire engulfs pair of houses, leaves 10 residents displaced

A woman and child escaped from a fire that broke out at a home at Jade Street and Farrington Highway in Makaha on Monday morning.

Firefighters responding to an 8:25 a.m. alarm at a home at 94-107 Jade St. arrived to find a house engulfed and the flames spreading to a second single-story house, a Fire Department spokes­man said.

Both houses were heavily damaged and rendered unlivable, fire Capt. David Jen­kins said.

One family consisting of four adults and two children and a second family consisting of two adults and two children were displaced and were being helped by the American Red Cross.

A woman and child who were home when the fire broke out got out safely. No one was home in the other house.

Ten fire companies and 32 firefighters responded to the alarm, Jen­kins said. The fire was reported under control at 9:10 a.m. and was extinguished at 11:45 a.m.

The origin and cause are under investigation.

Damage was estimated at $220,000 for each of the homes.

The Red Cross encourages all families to make a disaster plan to include an evacuation plan with two different routes of escape, a communications plan to help families reconnect after disaster, and a disaster supplies kit that is readily available to aid in a quick evacuation.