Big Island home destroyed by fire

[Mike_Lowery]

From The Honolulu Advertiser
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../br/br02p.html


Big Island home destroyed in fire

Advertiser Staff
Two occupants escaped injury yesterday when fire destroyed their home in Pahoa, according to the Hawai'i County Fire Department.

The small home collapsed during the blaze in an area of Kalapana, mauka of Highway 130.

Firefighters said the home had no road leading to it; they had to access the fire in the two-story wooden structure by foot.

The total loss was estimated at $5,000.

Man, I wonder what the house looked like to begin with....

[tutusue]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

The total loss was estimated at $5,000.

Man, I wonder what the house looked like to begin with....

I'm very happy the 2 occupants were unharmed...and I'm very sorry they lost their home...but I'm currently undergoing an intense, albeit muffled, case of the giggles over the visual in my head of this house. An inside job, possibly?!

There goes the mascara!

Ooooh damn, scr3w the muffles...I feel so guilty for laughing so hard! Bwaha.....

I so hope the occupants never find HT!

[helen]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Or maybe the house wasn't fully finished.

[damontucker]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Mr. Lowery... On some parts of the big island... a $5,000.00 home can be a castle. I personally know of people living off their land on houses that aren't up to code...however... a home is their home..Home is where the heart is is.

God bless they lived.

[tutusue]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Mr. Lowery... On some parts of the big island... a $5,000.00 home can be a castle. I personally know of people living off their land on houses that aren't up to code...however... a home is their home..Home is where the heart is is.

God bless they lived.

Not just the Big Island, Manoa. Also, there are many homes in Hawaii that are very livable and cost 6 figures that aren't up to code.

It would be interesting to know if the occupants were squatters or homeless folks sleeping in what was left of a neglected, 2 story 'shack'. I've seen family compound tent set-ups along the Waianae Coast that, if flattened by Mother Nature or a fire, the loss would be similar to the BI 'house'.

Mike Lowery had a valid point with his comment. It was not aimed at the occupants; rather, the fact that a home's total loss equaled $5000. Just pouring a small foundation can cost that. Maybe that figure was a typo (which is what I initially thought and got me laughing). Even then, a $50,000. total loss is unheard of. But, $5000...?

[helen]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

The house could be a pre-fab or an outdoor building. Costco sells a 10 foot by 20 foot outdoor shed for under $5,000 but they don't deliver it to Hawaii, but they could have bought it from some other source, assuming that was actually the type of building that got destoryed in the fire.

[tutusue]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

That's actually a cool, little structure, Helen. And to think my condo is just twice that size!

My guess is a 2 story pre-fab would cost more than 5k, tho'.

[damontucker]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Wow Helen... thats real cool! It's bigger than any dorm room I ever lived in.

Looks about the size of a small hotel room!

And they actuall call them "Studio Guesthouse"

[LikaNui]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Costco sells a 10 foot by 20 foot outdoor shed for under $5,000

Presto -- perfect solution for the 'homeless' problem!
(Also interesting to note that they're built by the Amish.)

[timkona]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

A shed for $5k.....good deal

Now all we need is a vacant lot somewhere to pitch up about 100 of them. Then we would solve the homeless problem. Any land donors out there? Not likely.

In Hawaii, few understand the dynamics of land value on an island. Or the consequence of terrible property tax laws and even worse zoning practices.

[pzarquon]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

See also our previous discussion on housing alternatives and the homeless. Recycled shipping containers aren't as pretty as these fancy sheds, but they're sure cheaper, readily available locally, and reduce overall waste. Not sure, but I imagine they don't burn as easily, either.

[helen]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

I suspect that zoning laws for outdoor buildings is on a county basis as opposed to on the state level but the two issues that may come up as to why these buildings may be suitable for homes is do with plumbing and electrical hook up.

These buildings were meant as an additional place to store things like lawn tools.

[Paul]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Here on the big island, I know many people living like this, either in tents or unpermited structures. I made a comment in another earlier thread that these people should'nt be classified as homeless. You can get temporary power hooked up without a permit. Some people live for years in their shacks with temporary power.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Big Island home destroyed by fire

Here on the big island, I know many people living like this, either in tents or unpermited structures. I made a comment in another earlier thread that these people should'nt be classified as homeless. You can get temporary power hooked up without a permit. Some people live for years in their shacks with temporary power.

I think Hawaii County is going to revise that one, limiting "temporary" electrical hookup to a maximum of 1-year or something like that, which is totally insane considering the housing/construction boom going on now on the Big Island. Before you could go from lot-clearing to turn key in 6-8 months, now it's just over a year for move-in condition.