Vandals suspected in persistent fire in historic Kalihi banyan
Firefighters were again summoned to Kaiulani Elementary School in Kalihi this morning to extinguish a fire that has been smouldering in a historic 117-year-old banyan tree since Wednesday.
Fire officials said firefighters have been called to the North King Street campus eight times since the first alarm went out at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
To completely extinguish the fire, state Department of Education workers plan to cut down the areas affected by the fire.
The fire is aided by the high winds and firefighters were again called back to the school at 9:50 a.m. today after a custodian reported the flare-up.
After vandals started another fire in the tree in 2011, a fence was erected to protect it.
However, education officials said there is evidence that vandals again were at the tree.
A report of the incident has been filed with the police department.
According to the school’s website, the Indian banyan tree was planted on the makai side of the campus, in 1899 when the school was opened, from a clipping from a tree at Ainahau where Princess Kaiulani lived in Waikiki.
8 responses to “Vandals suspected in persistent fire in historic Kalihi banyan”
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Mother Gaia will have her revenge when these baboozes all get beaned by falling coconuts.
Who is mother gaia?
earth
Seems now days more and more, zero respect.
“Ho, but we O.G. ~ We do what we like”
Auwe!
Is HPD having one of those blue flu days?
Are you asking why they never sat an officer next to that tree in anticipation of vandals setting fire to it?
HPD is virtually irrelevant to public safety these days. The overpaid officers get lazier and more incompetent each year.
Time to take some slips/shoots and replant them around the isle to preserve history?