Nahiku house damaged in fire
The Red Cross is assisting a Hana couple whose home was damaged by a fire Sunday morning.
Around 9 a.m., heavy smoke was reported coming from a home on Hana Highway at Mile Marker 28 in Upper Nahiku.
Firefighters from the Hana station responded to a 1,000-square-foot wooden home and found lots of smoke coming from the eves of the structure, according to Maui Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga.
Fire crews could see flames through a back window and forcibly entered the home, performed a search and knocked out the fire, Mainaga said.
The fire was extinguished at 9:29 a.m.
The couple was not home at the time. An investigation found that the fire was caused by an unattended candle on a shrine.
Approximately 15 percent of the building was damaged, with losses valued at $5,000.
Mainaga said the Red Cross was activated because the couple had no where to stay.
The Red Cross said Sunday that volunteers were being dispatched to "ensure their immediate emergency needs for food, shelter and clothing are met."
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UH officials to hold Maui public forum
University of Hawaii officials will be on Maui on Tuesday for a public forum.
UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, the board of regents and other system-level administrators will visit the University of Hawaii Maui College from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Room 105 of the Kaaike Building.
The public, students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited "to share their thoughts on the university and its future."
The group will be visiting all 10 campuses statewide through January.
The full schedule is available online at hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=5433.
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MMMC installs charging stations
Electric vehicle drivers can now charge up at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku.
Two charging stations have been installed in front of the medical center's Emergency Department, which is behind the main hospital building.
Charging is limited to four hours per vehicle per day at a cost of $15. The Aerovironment Inc. stations need to be activated by calling (888) 833-2148 or using an RFID key fob.
"We are excited to offer these charging stations to our community as more people make the transition to electric cars," MMMC Director of Facilities Brian Yano said in a statement.
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Permitting open house Dec. 4
Maui County will host its second "permitting open house" Dec. 4 to help residents and developers navigate the county's permitting process.
County officials with the departments of Planning, Public Works, Environmental Management, Fire and water will be on hand to answer questions and address concerns.
Attendees are encouraged to bring building plans and other supporting documents.
The county said that a similar event held in July was well received and that many attendees "were able to get their concerns resolved immediately after seeing department representatives," according to a news release.
The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. in Mayor Alan Arakawa's conference room on the 9th floor of the Kalana O Maui building at 200 S. High St. in Wailuku.
For more information, call Wendy Taomoto at 270-6258.
