MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island police have initiated an arson investigation in connection with a suspicious fire early Wednesday (August 31) in Kona.

At 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, Police and firefighters responded to a report of a loud explosion and flames shooting 15-20 feet into the air from a home on Kahulani Street in Kaloko Mauka.

When firefighters arrived, the garage was engulfed in flames. A pickup truck was parked in the garage. The occupant was not home.

After firefighters extinguished the fire, a Hawaiʻi Fire Department inspector determined with the assistance of a scent-discriminating canine that the fire was suspicious in nature.

No one was injured in the fire. Damages have not yet been determined.

Police ask that anyone with information about this case call Detective Walter Ah Mow at 326-4646, extension 238, or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.