Arson not suspected in fire that burned 3 Hilo buildings

HILO — Arson is not suspected in the downtown Hilo fire that destroyed several buildings early morning Sunday, Dec. 1, 2025.

The number of buildings burned was three, not four as initially reported by authorities. Two of the buildings were on Kinoole Street, while the third was on Haili Street. The two Kinoole Street buildings had more than one street address assigned to businesses on the street level, which apparently added to the confusion.

Hawaii County Fire Department investigators reported there was no indication of accelerants or evidence of foul play, and the cause of the fire is classified as undetermined, police said in a follow-up statement on Monday.

Detectives are in the process of obtaining and reviewing video surveillance from surrounding businesses.

According to county p