FEBRUARY 22, 2017 - V OLUME 32, I SSUE 8
The
Molokai Dispatch TH E I S LAND’ S NEW S SOU RCE S I NCE 1 9 8 5
Boater Rescued Off Kalaupapa
MOLOKAI BURGER CLOSED AFTER FIRE
The captain of the 22-foot Harmony B stands with MH-65 dolphin helicopter crew, following his rescue off Kalaupapa. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Levasseur, U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Hawaii Pacific.
By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
A
Top left, the Molokai Burger closet where fire is believed to have started. Bottom left, one of the dining room AC units that melted. Photos by Catherine Cluett Pactol.
By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
M
olokai Burger's grills will remain cold for two months, following a fire during the night of Monday, Feb. 13. The blaze and smoke caused significant damage to the building's interior and equipment, and the island's only drive-through is closed while repairs are made. Smoke was reported by a community member at 11:19 p.m., while the building was vacant. Three minutes later, firefighters were at the scene and found heavy smoke and active flames in the back kitchen area of the restaurant, according to the Fire Department. The fire was under control within 10 minutes and was fully extinguished around 1 a.m. No one was injured. Owner Rod Felt said employees had
left the restaurant at 10 p.m. that night. "We [later] watched the surveillance video... [of] them cleaning up and double checking everything... things were all turned off and put away," he said. "Then... smoke started billowing, gently at first, from an area where we keep our cleaning equipment." Felt said they could see the flash of light before the cameras went out. The fire likely originated in a closet space under the stairs. Felt said the fire department's initial investigation suggested the fire started from a personal device that was left plugged in -- an area Felt said employees frequently charge their cell phones. He said their insurance company's forensic team came at the end of last week to conduct a more thorough investigation. Fire officials say the fire appears to have been accidental, with no indicators it
Dazzling Dinner and Dance
was intentionally set. Though the building appears normal from the outside, the inside is blackened and heavily damaged. Heat near the ceiling reached 900 degrees, Felt said the fire department told him. The intense temperatures left behind an interior scene that could be from a sci-fi movie. Air conditioning units are melted; the plastic around display TVs dripped off in a hanging, tangled mess of electronic rubble; the exit sign above the front door is an unrecognizable blob of plastic dangling from the ceiling. The formerly spotless white tile of the dining area is coated in black, greasy smoke stains. The glass of light bulbs in the kitchen area melted into long icicles. Felt said structurally, the fireproof surfaces of the walls and ceilings held
Fire pg. 3
THIS WEEK IN
Molokai Dispatch
The
man in a homemade, 22-foot boat was rescued off Kalaupapa by the Coast Guard early last Friday morning, Feb. 17. The Coast Guard received a mayday call at 1:43 a.m. from the vessel's 52-year-old occupant -- who remains unidentified by officials as of Sunday. At 3:08 a.m., the Coast Guard's dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the mariner from his fiberglass vessel, the Harmony B. With windy weather and 7-foot seas at the scene near the Kalaupapa lighthouse, the boat's captain said he believed his anchor was no longer holding and was concerned that the weather conditions would push his vessel onto the nearby rocks, according to the Coast Guard. No injuries were reported, and the mariner was flown safely back to the Coast Guard's air station. The Guard reported that he will work with Sector Honolulu personnel to develop a salvage plan for his boat. The same night, the Coast Guard also rescued six boaters from a grounded sailboat off Oahu.
Baseball Hosts Preseason Tourney
By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
Photos by Catherine Cluett Pactol
M
oana's Hula Halau annual dinner and show wowed hundreds of attendees last Saturday night at the Molokai Community Health Center. This year, the funds raised will support the halau's trip to New Zealand in October. The show honored its late kumu hula Moana Dudoit, and featured performances by its own dancers, a sister halau in Japan and a men's group from Maui that showcased dances from Fiji -- all in front of a spectacular backdrop display under the banyan tree.
Kaahanui Takes 4th at Chamionships Pg. 3
Why I fly with Makani Kai “I know the cost, there’s no hidden fees and check in is convenient,” says Kaleo. A firefighter by trade and a self-described computer dork, Kaleo also works for Pacific Electro Mechanical as a programmer for industrial automation. “We have our own Cessna for inter-island travel but the plane’s busy today.” In fact, Kaleo says he has access to Mokulele’s Corporate Program but he prefers flying with Makani Kai…even though he’s not the one picking up the tab. Now that’s customer loyalty.
From topside Molokai to Honolulu or Kahului
$50 online fare, every seat, every flight, every day. MakaniKaiAir.com | (808) 834-1111
The
Molokai Dispatch
P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748
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Kaleo Puaa Molokai Born & Raised