Honolulu firefighters extinguish commercial building fire in Waikiki

The tenants of a Waikiki commercial building were forced to evacuate Tuesday after a fire erupted in a nail salon.

The fire began about 3:30 p.m. at Seaside Commercial Center, 334 Seaside Ave., and sent up a light haze of smoke. The businesses at the center include jewelry shops and nail salons.

Shelly Rivera, an assistant property manager for the building, said a “charging device” caused the fire, but she wasn’t aware of anyone being inside the unit at the time of the fire.

Rivera said there are about 60 units in the building, which has been kept open during the COVID-19 pandemic because some of the businesses are essential.

There are fire alarms but no sprinklers in the building, she said.

Whitney Cabael, a fourth floor tenant, said the fire was on the sixth floor.

“I heard the fire alarm,” she said. “I walked out and was like, ‘Is it real or is it not real?’ But I smelled fire.”

Once on the other side of the street, she said she saw black smoke coming from the building.

About 10 firefighting units responded to the fire, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Jeffrey Roache.

The fire was reported under control about 3:45 p.m. and extinguished shortly afterwards.

Police closed Seaside Avenue from Kuhio to Kalakaua while firefighters responded to the blaze. The road was reopened after 5 p.m.

Star-Advertiser photographer Cindy Ellen Russell contributed to this report.