Early morning blaze destroys Kahaluu home

Honolulu firefighters early Friday extinguished a two-alarm fire that destroyed a home in Kahaluu.

Shortly after 3:10 a.m. nine units with 34 firefighters responded to the blaze at unit 7 of Nenehiwa Gardens at 47-669 Melekula Road.

When they arrived the wooden, three-bedroom home was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters brought the fire under control at 3:44 a.m. and extinguished it just before 5:20 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

Resident Calvin Young, the sole occupant, said he had just left his house to go to work at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. A neighbor called his daughter to alert her of the fire, and she immediately called the shipyard to reach her father.

“I’m still in shock,” said Young as he stood at his neighbor’s carport staring at the charred structure. He had lived in the home for more than 30 years.

Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant said the cause of the fire has been classified as undetermined.

Due to the extensive damage, investigators are unable to determine where and how the fire started.

Damage to the structure is estimated at $300,000 and $20,000 to its contents.

The American Red Cross is assisting Young.

Police respond to McCully area shooting

Police responded to a shooting shortly after 5:30 a.m. Friday at a building across from the McCully Zippy’s.

A woman who reported the shooting said police told her it was a game room and that they found spent buckshot inside. No one was injured, however, and the suspects fled in a maroon car.

The woman, a customer at the McCully Zippy’s, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser she heard a loud boom but wasn’t sure what it was.

She said that when she saw the stairwell light up when the shooting started, she knew it was guns.

The woman heard a second boom, then she saw two men running down the stairs, both holding shotguns.

They looked at her, and she said she hid behind her car while they jumped into a maroon car and sped off onto Young Street.

She called 911 and police arrived in two minutes.

She said police also related to her that the game room is known to police, where they have had several problems.

The woman said she did not get a good look at the suspects and is unable to identify them. She suspects the men were trying to shoot their way in and rob the game room.