Passer-by helps fight wall fire
An outside wall of a Wailuku Heights residence burned Saturday morning, and a passer-by reported and helped control the fire with a garden hose as well as evacuate an elderly woman, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga.
Wailuku and Kahului firefighters responded to the 10:57 a.m. alarm at 401 Palani Place, Mainaga said. The fire damaged a 10-by-20-foot exterior wall on the backside of the house. The blaze was extinguished by the Wailuku engine company at 11:07 a.m.
Damage was estimated at $5,000, and no injuries were reported.
The fire's cause was undetermined, but according to witnesses it was most likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials, Mainaga said.
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St. Damien statue to be blessed
A koa 7-foot-tall statue of St. Damien will be blessed today with festivities beginning at 5:15 p.m. at Kihei sculptor Dale Zarrella's studio at the north end of Charley Young Beach in Kihei.
Those expected to be present during the blessing include Kahu Les Kuloloio and the Rev. Monsignor Terrence Watanabe of St. Theresa Catholic Church.
Zarrella's statue will be taken later to Oahu and featured at the Damien and Marianne of Molokai Heritage Center in Waikiki.
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Crew called to chloroform spill
A bottle containing a gallon of chloroform combusted in a lab at the Wailuku Police Station on Friday afternoon, triggering a response by a Maui Fire Department hazardous materials unit, said police spokesman Lt. Wayne Ibarra.
A female employee was exposed to the chloroform, he said. She was treated and released without needing to be hospitalized.
The incident was reported at 3:37 p.m. Friday. The spill was contained to an enclosed lab, with no other areas in the building affected, Ibarra said.
Firefighters cleaned and cleared the area of the hazardous material, he added.
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MHS team wins Science Bowl title
Maui High School went undefeated and beat Iolani in the finals to capture the Hawaii Science Bowl championship Saturday at Honolulu Community College.
The team earned the right to represent Hawaii in April at the national championships in Chevy Chase, Md., said coach Ed Ginoza.
Saber team members are senior Steven Okada, sophomore Christopher Kim and juniors Bryson Galapon, Riley Camp and Gabe Salazar.
