Arson has hit three separate Hawaii hotels this week; Honolulu police investigate
HONOLULU – Hawaii authorities were investigating three fires that were intentionally set in different high-rise resort hotels near Waikiki Beach over the past few days, officials said Wednesday.
A blaze on Monday caused $1.8 million in damage at the 25-story Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger. The fire was near a storage room on the 14th floor.
Each fire began at night in a hallway on a floor with guest rooms, Honolulu Fire Department Captain Scot Seguirant said.
Firefighters have referred the case to police for investigation. No one was injured in the fires. Two of the hotels were partially evacuated.
Police declined to comment. They have not released any information about possible suspects, methods or motive.
The first fire caused $4,000 in damage Sunday at the Alohilani Resort.
Are the Hawaii protests working? Telescope backers seek permit in Canary Islands
A fire Tuesday night broke out on the 28th floor of the 38-story Hilton Hawaiian Grand Waikikian.
Hotel security put out the flames with a fire extinguisher after it caused $10,000 in damage, police said.
Matt Kim of San Francisco, who is visiting the islands with his family, said he saw the road to the Grand Waikikian was closed Tuesday but had no idea there had been a case of arson.
“That’s pretty scary, especially security wise,” said Kim, who is staying at the sprawling Hilton complex in Waikiki.
He said he would like to see more foot patrols around the area but doesn’t plan to change hotels unless officials recommend he do so.
Federal drug crackdown:32 arrests in notoriously drug-heavy San Francisco neighborhood
Marc and Mariam Walkowski of Grand Rapids, Michigan, saw the scene at the Alohilani on Sunday night from the 16th floor of the nearby Courtyard Marriott where they were staying.
“The streets were pretty flooded with tourists and people from the hotel,” Marc Walkowski said. “It appeared that they evacuated nearly everybody.”
People were taking photos and video and were calm, he said.
His wife said they don’t plan to do anything differently because of the fires. They’ll be careful and not dwell too much on the negative.
“Obviously it’s Hawaii and we’re enjoying that,” she said.
