Kahuna Road structure fire in Kapa‘a displaces two to five residents, pet

A structure fire on Kahuna Road in Kapa‘a on March 6 displaced between two and five residents and one pet, and caused no reported injuries, emergency officials said. Kaua‘i Police told investigators that “all occupants of the home had safely exited and accounted for before the fire broke out,” and KFD Fire Prevention Bureau investigators have taken over the scene while the cause remains under investigation.

County dispatch records in a county press release place the initial call on a Tuesday at approximately 4:15 p.m., with Kapa‘a and Kaiakea fire stations dispatched and crews arriving shortly after 4:20 p.m. The county release stated, “According to a preliminary report, upon arrival shortly after 4:20 p.m., firefighters discovered a one-story structure fully engulfed in flames,” and that while crews battled the blaze, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative and county Department of Public Works staff shut off electrical and gas utilities.

Not all accounts match the county timeline. A separate account reported the fire in the morning and said firefighters “secured a water supply and extinguished the fire shortly before 9 a.m.” Spectrum’s preliminary description placed dispatch just before 4:50 p.m. and arrival shortly before 5 p.m., and characterized the burning object as “a gazebo-like structure fully engulfed in flames on Kahuna Road.” Spectrum also reported that “the fire was controlled and extinguished using approximately 750 gallons of water,” and that flames from the gazebo melted part of the main residence’s roof.

Officials and local reports differ on how many people sought help and whether outside aid was accepted. The County of Kaua‘i press release said the American Red Cross is assisting five displaced individuals and one displaced pet, while another report noted the Red Cross was contacted but the occupants declined assistance and listed two people and one pet as displaced. Kaua‘i Fire Department and county officials have not provided a single reconciled tally in public statements to date.

Estimates of property damage vary widely between preliminary accounts: one report estimated $15,000 in damages, another estimated $500,000, and a county-affiliated account listed $750,000. The discrepancy appears in preliminary damage assessments that have not yet been reconciled by the Fire Prevention Bureau investigators who are conducting the on-scene inquiry.

Responding agencies named in the county release included the Kapa‘a and Kaiakea fire stations, the KFD Fire Prevention Bureau, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, the Department of Public Works, and the Kaua‘i Police Department. KauaiNow’s timeline noted firefighters cleared the scene shortly after 9:35 p.m. on the same day, while other timelines indicate an earlier extinguishment; KFD has been asked to provide the official incident log, dispatch times, and the final damage estimate.

KFD Fire Prevention Bureau investigators remain on the case and officials have said the cause of the blaze is undetermined. County and fire officials said they will release additional findings when the bureau completes its investigation.