Firefighters extinguish Hilo blaze

Hilo firefighters found an unoccupied, two-story home on Hoaka Road on fire Monday evening.

A passerby alerted a neigbhor of black smoke coming from both floors, according to the Hawaii Fire Department. The neighbor called 911. Firefighters found a back door had been forced open prior to their arrival. A “suspicious” small fire was located on the bottom floor outside the bathroom, the department said.

The fire was extinguished. Damage was estimated at about $1,000.