Suspects arrested in connection with a series of suspicious fires in Central Maui on Thursday are shown purchasing a gas can, lighter fluid, charcoal and Lysol at a store just before the brush fires started, police said during a news conference on Friday afternoon. — The Maui News / LILA FUJIMOTO photo
Two men and a woman have been arrested in connection with six brush fires that police said were intentionally set Thursday afternoon in Central ui.
One suspect, a 34-year-old Haiku man, was arrested Thursday after a civilian witness saw one of the fires being set and “immediately called police,” providing a description of the suspect and his vehicle, Assistant Chief Randy Esperanza said at a news conference Friday afternoon at the Wailuku Police Station.
Police located the man, who matched the description of the suspect, with the vehicle, Esperanza said.
He said that on Friday, police Crime Reduction Unit officers located and arrested two other suspects, a 36-year-old Pukalani man and a 33-year-old Pukalani woman, in connection with the fires. Follow-up investigation showed the 34-year-old man and the woman entering a store and purchasing a gas can, lighter fluid, charcoal and Lysol just before the brush fires started, Esperanza said.
“It is with strong confidence that we believe the persons responsible for starting the fires have been arrested,” he said.
Flames flicker on Thursday afternoon near Kohukohu Place in Wailuku where some homes were evacuated due to the 3-acre blaze. — MAUI FIRE DEPARTMENT photo
The first fire was reported at 1:06 p.m. on Amala Place near the Kahului Wastewater Treatment Plant. The second occurred at 1:16 p.m. on Wahinepio Avenue at Keopulani Park.
The third fire, at 1:24 p.m. off Kahekili Highway and Makaala Drive in Waiehu, burned about 3 acres of heavy brush mauka of the highway.
A fourth fire at 1:40 p.m. at Waiale and Waiko roads was extinguished by a private construction water tanker before firefighters arrived.
A fifth fire at 2 p.m. on Hansen Road at Hana Highway in Kahului was contained to about 200 square feet and quickly extinguished, the Fire Department reported.
The sixth and largest fire was reported at 2:04 p.m. along Maui Veterans Highway near the National Guard armory and burned about 5 acres.
Through “rapid response” by the Fire Department, “the fires were quickly contained and no one was injured,” Esperanza said.
Deputy Fire Chief Gavin Fujioka thanked the community “for stepping up” and notifying police and thanked the Police Department “for their great quick work on getting these suspects arrested and also the continued joint effort by the Maui Fire and the MPD.”
Fujioka also thanked firefighters “for an awesome job on the front lines yesterday.”
When asked about a motive for the fires, Esperanza said police “were still actively investigating.”
“It’s our belief that all the suspects were in unison, together,” he said.
He said the 36-year-old man is the boyfriend of the woman.
The suspects hadn’t been charged Friday afternoon “but charges are forthcoming,” Esperanza said.
He said all three suspects have criminal histories but wouldn’t elaborate “because of the ongoing nature of this investigation.”
When asked which fire the witness saw being set, Police Chief John Pelletier said “at this point because it’s still ongoing and we’re right in the middle of it, we’re going to conclude right now.”
* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.
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