HFD: No clear source of ignition in blaze that killed Palolo woman

PALOLO (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Fire Department has concluded its investigation into a fatal house fire in Palolo.

Officials classified the cause of the blaze that happened last Saturday as undetermined.

According to the Honolulu Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to the home on 9th Avenue in Palolo just before 1:30 a.m.

Some 13 units staffed with 53 personnel responded. When they arrived on scene, crews found a single-story home with smoke and flames coming out from half of the building.

Firefighters began battling the flames and had it under control just after 2 a.m., and fully extinguished just after 2:45 a.m., HFD said.

Initially, it was reported that a man and a woman were unaccounted for. Upon searching the residence once conditions were deemed safe, HFD said the elderly woman was found unconscious in a back room. The man was not home at the time.

The woman was brought out of the house and transferred to paramedics.

She was hospitalized at Straub in critical condition where she later died Saturday.

Family members identified the woman as 86-year-old Glenna Wong.

“Mom was a real loving person,” son Greg Wong told Hawaii News Now. “It was just reinforced today by all the calls and texts and people visiting."

"She made everybody feel comfortable, she made sure everybody was well fed,” he reflected. “That’s what we’ll miss the most, she kept the family together.”

HFD says they are investigating what ignited the fire. The home did not have a working smoke alarm.

“The HFD will continue to advocate for fire sprinklers in all residences. It is the most effective way to control a fire which results in saving lives and protecting property. Please ensure that your residence has a working smoke alarm,” HFD officials said in a news release.

Damage is estimated at nearly $498,000.

Copyright 2019 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.