FREE CONTENT: It appears a fire in the men’s section of the Hilo Walmart that closed the store for more than 4 1/2 hours Tuesday night was deliberately set. A fire department statement lists the cause of the fire as “under investigation” and a police log notes that first-degree arson and third-degree theft investigations were initiated because of the 4:22 p.m. fire at the store in Waiakea Center on Makaala Street. “There is evidence that the fire was intentionally set,” police Lt. Greg Esteban of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Section said Wednesday. “It appears that articles of clothing (men’s shirts) were ignited, and it was suspicious in nature because there was no immediate source of ignition, such as an electrical outlet, in the area.” There were no injuries, and the statement said fire damage was contained to a single free-standing clothes rack because of the quick action of Walmart associates, who extinguished the fire before authorities arrived and evacuated the store. “Heavy smoke was noted throughout the store,” the release stated, and added fire personnel deployed exhaust fans to help the building’s ventilation system clear the premises of smoke.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:30:05 +0000
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