Fire in Puna Leaves Family of Seven Homeless

Hawaii Red Cross volunteers provided assistance to a family of seven affected by a fire that burned down a small cabin in Hawaiian Acres Friday night.

The family was provided with groceries, clothing and household goods, the Red Cross said in a statement. The non-profit agency said it would continue to follow-up for additional assistance as needed.

The fire department reported that the 160-square-foot unpermitted cabin on Hopue Road, also known as Road 3, was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at 5:30 p.m. The walls had burned to the point that the roof was nearly to the ground, a spokesman said.

The home’s residents told the volunteer firefighters who arrived first on the scene that they had just arrived home when they heard what was described as several explosions and saw smoke coming from the cabin. No one was in the structure at the time.

Damage was estimated at $16,000

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.