Community center at Hilo park damaged in fire

The Pu‘u‘eo Community Center at Clem Akina Park in Hilo is currently closed following a fire that damaged the building over the weekend.

The fire occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday, beneath a covered walkway on the exterior of the building. The Hawai‘i Fire Department responded and quickly stamped out the flames. However, the fire and smoke damage to the building is still estimated at $80,000.

Clem Akina Park remains open to the public, but the community center will remain closed this week to allow for the assessment of potentially hazardous materials and to initiate the clean-up and repair process.

Programs at the community center have been canceled for the week, and facility users will be notified when the community center re-opens.

Hawai‘i County’s Parks and Recreation Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for the fire. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Hawai‘i Police Department non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.