By: HNN Staff
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - It was a heartbreaking scene for fire investigators Wednesday morning at the scene of a deadly house fire in Kahala.
Honolulu Fire Department officials discovered the bodies of a 9-month-old baby and the baby’s mother after flames ripped through the Luakaha Street home around 8:10 a.m.
An HFD spokesperson says 40 firefighters across 10 separate units responded to the two-alarm blaze. Video taken from the scene shows the home completely engulfed in flames with thick black smoke being seen from miles away.
The fire didn’t burn for very long, roughly 10 minutes, firefighters say, but it was powerful enough to claim the lives of the two victims, and one of the two family dogs.
“I jumped out of the car, ran through the house and it was in back,” neighbor Rich Chun said fighting back tears. “Grabbed the hose and I couldn’t do anything and so just kind of just tried to do something, but it was too late.”
City officials did not release the names of the victims, but Hawaii News Now confirmed through multiple sources that they are Connie Wharton and her infant daughter, Sophia. Hawaii News Now has also learned that the victims were the family of a lieutenant with the Honolulu Police Department.
HPD Lieutenant Nathan Wharton, the father and husband of the two decedents, was not home at the time of the fire, sources say.
Fire officials say Wharton was found dead in the home’s garage while Sophia was found in the residence’s living room.
“As far as we are concerned, we are trying to comfort the families and take care of the investigating officers too, because it looks like it’s going to be a long, drawn-out investigation right now,” said Malcolm Lutu, the president of Hawaii’s police union.
Acting police chief Jonathan Grems issued a statement saying, “We are supporting our officer during this heartbreaking tragedy. Few of us can begin to imagine the pain of his loss, and we will continue to support him in the days to come.”
HFD has not yet officially released how or where the fire started, but sources say the fire started in the garage where a propane tank was reportedly being stored.
Neighbors also reported hearing pops or small explosions. HFD addressed those accounts by saying, “I heard reports there is ammunitions going off while the fire was happening. It’s safe to say there was ammunitions in the home,” Capt. Scot Seguirant said.
Financially, damage to the home, it’s contents and a neighboring home is estimated at $720,000, but the community is reeling from the loss of life in this unfortunate incident.
“It makes everything real. We don’t know what happened here. It looks like some kind of accident,” Lutu added. “But just to lose your wife and child... You know I am sure every officer on the force or the department is thinking about that.”
The investigation is ongoing.
This story will be updated.
Copyright 2018 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
