Hawai‘i Island police confirm human remains found in Ocean View structure fire

Hawai‘i Island police confirm an elderly man was killed in a structure fire in Ka‘ū District early this morning.

First responders were dispatched to the blaze on the 92-1600 block of Aloha Boulevard in Ocean View at 2:13 a.m. When they arrived on scene, the single-family dwelling was engulfed in flames and the 92-year-old man who resided in the home was unaccounted for. 

“After firefighters extinguished the flames, a severely burnt body was discovered in the remnants of the structure,” officials stated in a Hawai‘i Island police press release Sunday afternoon.

Ocean View resident Douglas Miller, 56, who lives on Coconut Drive and Ginger Blossom, captured photos of the flames that were less than a block from his home.

“I don’t know anything except being woken up to screaming and dogs barking,” Miller said. “I looked out from my bedroom window and saw the blaze.”

Before the fire department arrived, Miller said he could hear someone screaming and banging on a door.

“It made my dogs freak out and start really barking,” he said. “It sounded really bad and someone really in anguish.”

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. The identity of the victim and the cause of the fire are still under investigation.
 
The structure and contents, which had an estimated value of $150,000, were a total loss.
 
Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at 808-960-3118; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov. They may also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.
 
Citizens who wish to remain anonymous can make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record any calls or subscribe to caller ID.