Santa Clara, CA: The fire department’s response to what was initially thought to be a five alarm fire at the Marco Polo building in Honolulu, Hawaii, is coming under scrutiny to determine any first responder misconduct.
According to local news reports, during an after-action review the HFD realized the fire actually reached seven alarms. Further, a mobile command center, a vehicle meant for emergency operations such as this fire, wasn’t used that day. Apparently, it was dispatched was not at the scene that day. This will be part of the review.
The biggest fire seen in Honolulu in decades, the Marco Polo blaze spread quickly through the top floors of the high-rise and took hours to bring under control. Three people died in the fire. Firefighters rescued five people trapped in their apartments on the 26th floor, which was where the fire started. One person was rescued on the 27th floor.
More than 120 firefighters were on the seen fighting the fire on July 14, or about one third of the department’s manpower on the island, local news reported.
