Kapaʻa lawn mower store scorched in late evening fire

 A fire broke out at a local lawn mower store in Kapaʻa late Monday evening, and Kauaʻi fire and police crews worked into the night to fully extinguish the blaze.

The fire appears to have severely damaged Kauaʻi Marine & Mower on Ulu St., although the full extent has not been determined. 

The exact time the fire started is not known at this time, but it appears to have spread quickly – with flames engulfing the entire building as emergency crews arrived. 

According to a Kauaʻi police officer monitoring the area from Kauwila St., the street directly in front of the building, emergency crews first arrived at the scene between 9:45 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. 

Firefighters appeared to have the fire under control at around 10:30 p.m., but they were still battling persistent smaller flames. 

Small, recurring flares and smoke were still coming from the scene just after 11 p.m. At that time, multiple police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances remained stationed along Ulu St., and cross-street Kukui St., blocking access to the area near the building.

The cause of the blaze is currently unknown, but as a lawn mower store, the business likely had a significant amount of gas, oil, and electrical equipment. 

According to the Kauaʻi Marine & Mower website, the local business sells potentially flammable products including generators, lawnmowers, robotic mowers, water pumps, and portable engines.

It is not believed that any people were in the building during the late-night fire. However, Kauaʻi Now has reached out to the County of Kauaʻi Fire Department for confirmation and more information about the incident.

Video footage from the scene is available here.

The fire follows multiple brush fires in the nearby town of Hanamā‘ulu on Sunday, Sept. 16, which Kauaʻi Fire Chief Michael Gibson said had been intentionally set.

Update: In a press release published Tuesday afternoon, the County of Kauaʻi Public Information Office shared that the fire caused an estimated $1.2 million in damages. No injuries were reported.

The report also states the damaged structure is unstable, and pedestrians are being asked to avoid the area. Ulu St. is closed from Kukui St. to Koa St., and the county office says it will provide an update when the road is reopened.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.