Hawaii Island mechanic loses $150K in tools and equipment in shop fire

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii Island mechanic lost an estimated $150,000 in tools and equipment after a fire destroyed his shop in Fern Forest.

Doug Maki, 64, said he had been collecting tools since he was 16. On Sept. 26, he returned home on Kaleponi Drive after being gone for about an hour to find firefighters at the scene and his shop destroyed.

“A friend of mine stopped by,” Maki said. “We went and got coffee. And by the time we came back, the fire trucks were here, and the place is gone.”

The fire destroyed his tools, solar equipment and other belongings, including a motorized bicycle and mini bike. It also left him without keys to his own vehicles and those belonging to customers.

Fern Forest residents said the loss was especially difficult because Maki had spent years helping others in the community.

Regular customer Dawn Keane said she trusted Maki to be honest when working on her vehicle and appreciated that he never made her feel taken advantage of.

She said he often charged customers less than the cost of the work, if anything at all.

“It’s hard to make him take money,” said Fern Forest resident Chris Emerson.

Emerson said he could not imagine losing the tools needed to make a living.

Despite the loss, Maki said he is trying to stay positive.

“I’ll live,” he said. “I mean, you can’t let life get you down.”

A customer has started a GoFundMe to help Maki recover from the fire.