Executive Summary
- Firefighters responded to a fully engulfed home on Kaualio Place at 2:53 a.m. Wednesday.
- No injuries were reported, though the home suffered a partial roof collapse.
- Investigators determined on Thursday that the fire was intentionally set.
- The Honolulu Police Department has officially opened an arson investigation.
HONOLULU – The Honolulu Police Department has initiated a criminal investigation into a residential fire in the Diamond Head neighborhood after fire officials determined the blaze was intentionally set, according to reports filed this week.
The Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received the initial distress call at 2:53 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, regarding a structure fire on Kaualio Place. Upon arrival, emergency responders observed a two-story residence fully engulfed in flames.
Due to the intensity of the inferno, the structure suffered a partial roof collapse, forcing firefighters to evacuate the interior and adopt a defensive strategy from the exterior, HFD officials stated. Crews declared the fire under control by 3:31 a.m. and fully extinguished it at 4:44 a.m. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
Following a forensic examination of the scene on Thursday, fire investigators concluded that the ignition was deliberate. Consequently, the case has been transferred to the Honolulu Police Department for an arson inquiry.
Investigative Outlook
The reclassification of this incident as arson shifts the operational focus from public safety recovery to criminal prosecution. Investigators will likely concentrate on recovering forensic evidence of accelerants and canvassing the Kaualio Place area for potential surveillance footage or witnesses. As the investigation remains active, authorities have not yet released descriptions of potential suspects or motives.
