Firefighters responded to two car fires early Wednesday in Kakaako and Nuuanu that could be related, a Honolulu Fire Department spokesman said.
The first sparked up just after 2 a.m. on Kawaiahao Street in the garage at Stewart’s Auto Service, Capt. Terry Seelig said.
Firefighters noticed when they arrived that the single-story cinder-block building was not burning but some wood trim and contents within the garage were on fire, so they cut open a locked gate in front of the garage and had the blaze under control by 2:23 a.m., Seelig said.
It was discovered that two vehicles had burned: a 1995 Acura and a 2006 Scion, Seelig said. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Damage done to the cars, a small portion of the building and some auto parts is estimated at $25,000.
While firefighters were busy fighting the Kakaako fire, another was reported at 2:16 a.m. on the side of Pacific Heights Road, near where it meets Pali Highway, Seelig said.
A Honda sedan was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
"It did not extend and involve any other property, but it did destroy the car," Seelig said.
One engine company responded to that fire, while three engines, a ladder truck and a battalion chief responded to the Kakaako fire because it initially was reported as a building fire, Seelig said.
The Kakaako fire appeared to have been intentionally set, based on witness reports and other indicators, and police have opened an arson case, which indicates malice, Seelig said.
He said firefighters are still working with police to determine whether the two fires are related.
"We are treating it as possibly a second intentional fire that may be related to the first but we’re not sure yet," he said.
It is possible that the fires are related to three Friday morning vehicle fires that are also suspected to have been intentionally set.
Firefighters were dispatched at 3:28 a.m. Friday to Rainbow Market at 1720 Palolo Ave., where they found a van on fire after its driver apparently tried to break into the Palolo market by driving through its front doors, Seelig said at the time.
The driver allegedly set the van on fire after crashing into the building, and a second van in the parking lot also was set on fire.
The fires caused $60,000 in damage: $20,000 to each of the vans and $20,000 to the exterior of the building, Seelig said.
Firefighters that morning also were called to extinguish a car fire at 3:34 a.m. on Kaipuu Street near Kapiolani Boulevard that wound up destroying a Honda sedan. Damage to the car was estimated at $5,000, and Seelig said the fire was intentionally set.
At the time Seelig said he did not know whether those two incidents were related.
He said Wednesday morning, "Police, I’m sure, are looking at (whether all of the incidents are related) because of the similarities between the types of fires and the pattern. However, that’s a law-enforcement-type investigation."
Seelig added, "We are imploring the public to call either CrimeStoppers or 911 and provide useful information, because (with) intentionally set fires it’s often information from the public that helps law enforcement to find suspects and maybe successfully build a case to prosecute them."
Police confirmed that they are looking into the possibility of serial arson.
