Police Identify Two Women Killed in Nov. 29 Hilo Building Fire

Hawai‘i Island police have identified the two women who died after a Nov. 29 structure fire at the former Pueo/Puueo poi factory on Kekuanaoa Street in Hilo as 72-year-old Antoinette Amii and 56-year-old Neilla Lee. Both were tenants of the converted factory-apartment building, and autopsies were performed; final results are pending. Police and Hawai‘i Fire Department investigators say they do not suspect foul play.

The blaze began after a 911 call about 4 a.m. reporting a building fire with people trapped inside. Firefighters described the site as a two-story, 1,400-square-foot multifamily Quonset-hut type structure across from Hilo Shopping Center. When the first units arrived the structure was about "60% involved with fire," with flames coming from all four sides, according to Hawai‘i Fire Department accounts.

A total of 12 units and 29 firefighters responded, with crews arriving within minutes. Firefighters had the fire under control at about 6:30 a.m., and the blaze was extinguished by about 1 p.m. After suppression efforts, HFD officials reported two people had died in different locations of the building, one person was rescued, and other residents were accounted for, some of whom had self-evacuated before crews arrived. A total of 28 residents were displaced.

The building name appears in official releases and reporting with variant spellings - both "Pueo" and "Puueo" appear in records - and at least one account listed the specific address as 265 Kekuanaoa St. Authorities say those details may be confirmed through department records. Hawai‘i Island police repeated that investigators do not suspect foul play as the inquiry continues.

For residents seeking to provide information or to follow the investigation, police have asked anyone with tips to contact Detective Michael Matsumura with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2386 or Michael.Matsumura@hawaiicounty.gov. Other contact lines include the Hawai‘i Police Department non-emergency number, (808) 935-3311, Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300, and the Unsolved Homicides Division at (808) 961-2380. The HPD office in Hilo is at 349 Kapiʻolani Street; emergency calls should be made to 911.

Beyond the immediate human toll, the fire highlights local housing vulnerability. The converted factory housed multiple tenants; losing housing stock and displacing 28 residents adds pressure to Hilo’s tight rental market and to emergency shelter resources. County officials and aid groups will likely be called on to coordinate short-term shelter and longer-term rehousing for displaced tenants.

What comes next for readers is a focus on confirmation of final autopsy results and the investigators’ determination of the fire’s origin. Neighbors and anyone with information are asked to contact the police lines listed above as the departments work to provide answers and assist those affected.