By Hawaii 24/7 Staff (9/13/12 8:46 a.m.)

Fire/rescue crews responded to an 8:34 p.m. alarm Wednesday (Sept 12) to Kamaoa Road in Ka‘u for a structure fire.

Crews found a house full of smoke with kitchen cabinets burning. The owner of the property and a 68 year-old neighbor were attempting to put out the fire with garden hoses. The neighbor was injured during the fire was transported to Hilo Medical Center.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze with portable fire extinguishers.

The fire caused extensive damage in a 550 square-foot area with the rest of the four bedroom, 2,000 square-foot home sustaining smoke damage.

The loss was estimated to be $85,000 to the building and $3,000 to the contents of the $220,000 home.

The cause of the blaze was determined to be an unattended pot on a stove.

UPDATED POLICE MEDIA RELEASE (9/13/2012 at 12:23 PM)

Police have initiated a Corners Inquest following the death of a 69-year-old man.

On Wednesday (September 12) at approximately 10:35 p.m., Kaʻū Patrol Officers and Fire Department personnel responded to a report of a structure fire on Kamaoa Road in Waiʻōhinu.

Upon arrival, emergency personnel extinguished a fire in the kitchen area of the residence. A male party who was assisting the homeowner in attempting to extinguish the blaze prior to arrival of Fire Department personnel was found unresponsive outside the residence. The 69-year-old male has been identified as Gerald Erickson of Kamāʻoa Road. It was determined that shortly after the fire started Erickson was summoned by his neighbor to assist in putting out a fire which started in the kitchen area. As the residence began to fill with smoke the homeowner, Lui Salas, told Erickson to go outside and call 911. Shortly thereafter Salas found Erickson outside the house and unresponsive, he immediately began to administer CPR. Erickson was later transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead on September 13 at 3:30 a.m. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death and officers from the Kaʻū Patrol Section are continuing this investigation. The fire appears to have been started by an unattended propane stove. Damage to the structure was estimated at $50,000.00