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A person welding in a patio workshop inadvertently caused a fire that destroyed a house and damaged another Wednesday night in Salt Lake, Honolulu fire investigators said.
The fire began shortly before 6:30 p.m. in a covered patio used as a workshop behind the house on 4509 Likini St., said Capt. Terry Seelig, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman.
A person living in the house had been using a welding torch on the frame of a mo-ped, Seelig said. He did not notice that heat from the torch had radiated to combustible material in the mo-ped’s seat, which smoldered and caught fire after the man had finished his welding project and left, he said.
The fire spread into the workshop and the house, destroying the home and damaging the house next door.
Damage to the first house was estimated at $380,000. A pet cat was killed. Damage to the neighboring house at 4513 Likini St. was estimated at $130,000.
Ten people were displaced as a result of the fire.
Seelig recommended that people using welding equipment check to ensure no fire has developed before leaving a work area.
He also recommended that a fire extinguisher with a minimum 2A-20BC rating be placed within 30 feet and that the work area be monitored for at least 30 minutes after the torch is turned off.
