HFD says fire at Ala Moana Longs was accidental, caused $339,000 in damage
Honolulu Fire Department investigators concluded its investigation Monday of a building fire Dec. 7 at the Ala Moana CVS Longs Drug Store storage room and determined it was accidental.
The blaze caused an estimated $339,000 in damage, of which $139,000 was to the structure and $200,000 to its contents.
HFD said the spark came from an electrical distribution panel in the storage warehouse of Longs Drugs, and spread to nearby combustible materials.
The fire was called in at 8:10 a.m. Dec. 7 in the basement storage room directly below the store and about the same size as the store.
The storage “was full of boxes and merchandise, which hindered fire suppression,” HFD said.
A security guard noticed smoke in the loading dock area.
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The sprinkler system was activated and confined the flames to a 20-foot by 20-foot area, which did not extinguish the fire.
Fire crews sifted through the debris and merchandise to ensure nothing was smoldering. There was little ventilation and poor visibility.
HFD had the fire under control at 8:40 a.m. and extinguished at 9:25 a.m.
No one was injured.
