11 people displaced as fire races through McCully homes

A three-alarm McCully fire on Saturday moved so quickly the Paez family had only seconds to grab some belongings and get out safely with their pit bull, Keo.

"I’m pretty much homeless right now," said 20-year-old Keana Paez after the fire destroyed two structures at 2323 Lime St. and displaced 11 people.

The fire caused about $500,000 in damage and sent one firefighter to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Honolulu fire Capt. James Todd said the fire started about 8:20 a.m. and was upgraded to a three-alarm fire to keep the flames from spreading to neighboring structures in the dense neighborhood.

Arriving firefighters found a two-story structure engulfed in flames and a portion of a Quonset hut on the back of the lot on fire, Todd said. About 40 firefighters from 13 companies battled the blaze and brought it under control by 9:37 a.m.

Todd said the blaze destroyed two structures and caused minor damage to a small cottage, all on the same lot.

Todd said one firefighter was injured when a 2-pound concrete tile fell and hit him on the head. The firefighter, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center as a precaution and later released.

Todd said the fire displaced six women and five men.

Keana Paez, who had lived at the two-bedroom home since she was 6 years old, said she was awakened by her mother yelling about a fire and grabbed what she could — her laptop and wallet — then ran out of the Quonset hut barefoot before the fire engulfed her home.

On her way out, she heard a large explosion that she believed helped push the flames onto her home.

Manuel Paez, Keana’s father, said he first smelled something burning and saw flames from his landlord’s home when he stepped outside to investigate.

He said he pulled his daughter out of the home because she was trying to go back inside for the keys to her truck, adding that she probably wouldn’t have survived if she had gone back.

On his way out, Paez had to duck beneath flames coming onto his porch from next door.

Two of Paez’s lovebirds, however, did not survive. The birds were in a cage next to the Quonset hut.

Keo, the Paezes’ 11-year-old pit bull, was panicking and licking Keana’s face to wake her up, said Danalei Paez, Keana’s mother.

"All we saw was flames," she said. "It just happened so fast."

She only had enough time to put Keo on a leash before fleeing and borrowed someone’s slippers after escaping from the blaze barefoot.

"It’s nice to see how the community comes together in a time like this," she said.

The Red Cross was helping the displaced residents, and a friend of the owner said the owner’s family has somewhere to stay and has insurance.

A neighbor who lives across the street, who gave his name as Tony, said he heard two explosions, then crackling before he looked outside to see heavy smoke and fire. He could feel heat from the fire from across the street.

Tony said the fire moved surprisingly fast — engulfing two structures in about five minutes.

"It’s true: When a fire starts, get out as soon as you can," he said.