The Hawaii County Fire Department is investigating a structure fire Monday in Waikoloa.
Responding to the 6:16 a.m. call, firefighters found heavy smoke coming from a commercial building on Melia Street and no active flames visible from outside. They made a forcible entry through the front door as the building was locked. A small fire, which was spreading to the walls and into the ceiling, was discovered in the kitchen. There was also heavy smoke and no one inside.
Ventilation of the roof allowed the smoke to escape and fire suppression efforts confined the damage to the kitchen area only. The fire was under control around 6:50 a.m. and extinguished 10 minutes later, according to the Fire Department.
The property owner is not known at this time. The damage was estimated at $150,000, fire officials said.
