Kalihi Fire Destroys Halau's Hula Supplies
Family Started Group For Daughter, Friends
POSTED: 1:38 pm HST December 1, 2009
UPDATED: 2:54 pm HST December 1, 2009
KALIHI, Hawaii -- A fire in Kalihi on Tuesday morning was limited to a shed, but the damage caused a huge loss for a community hula halau.There was nothing salvageable from the fire that ripped through the storage shed behind the Kolones' home just after 9 a.m.Firefighters quickly put out the flames that engulfed the small structure."We're most concerned with it spreading to any residence, and in this case, they were able to keep it to just the shed," Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Terry Seelig said.It may be hard to put a damage estimate on this fire because many of the items destroyed are irreplaceable, fire officials said."We've lost everything. We lost all our uniforms," Elisapeta Kolone said.Ashes were all that was left of hula videos, pictures and handmade costumes for the community halau Kolone and her family ran from their home."I think when they come they'll realize their uniforms are all gone," Kolone said.For the past four years, the Kolones have opened their home to their daughters' friends."They started bringing their friends over. So we say, 'We don't want them to go out in the community and go out and do the wrong things. We want them to stay here,'" Kolone said.What came out of it was a dance troupe called Aiga808 Kolone Productions. The group performs for donations only. It is scheduled to dance at a baby luau on Friday."We're just going to have to start fresh this week and rush our uniforms and pick up new uniforms and start sewing as fast as we can by Thursday," Kolone said.Despite the loss, Kolone said they are just thankful no one was hurt.
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