An insurance agent surveys the damage from a gutted home on Papipi Drive.
"If this was my house."
"I would be angry."
Nashika Gago cannot get the image of her neighbor’s home going up in flames out of her head.
"This on flame — then it caught over there."
"My cousin and my sister was shooting trying to do their best."
Despite her family’s effort, her neighbor’s three-bedroom house was fully involved in 10 minutes.
"Yeah it was quick."
"We thank God that it wasn’t our house. I feel for the family."
HFD investigators says the fire started in the car port and rapidly spread to the house. They say it was intentionally set.
"A boat doesn’t catch on fire by itself."
"Thank God that nobody was home."
A man who lived at the home declined to comment on the incident. But several neighbors say they heard a loud argument between one of the residents who rented the home and another man.
"It was about 200 dollars."
"My mom was here for the argument."
"Word is going to get around fast. Some people know who the guy is too."
Fire officials say the blaze caused 300-thousand dollars in damage to the home plus 20-thousand dollars in damage to two cars and two neighboring homes.
"It is scary because our house could have caught on fire and their house. It could be a chain reaction."
The incident has left a bad taste with many who’ve called Papipi Drive home for years.
"From school I seen fire and then I ran all the way home and then my sister them and my brother was crying – they thought it was our house."
"A lot of people are mad, my family is mad and we’re concerned for this family. I mean in this neighborhood, everybody is family."
Police continue to investigate.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
