Emergency responders regard the Marco Polo blaze as Honolulu’s worst in modern times — a wind-driven blaze that turned flames into a blowtorch.
The 134 firefighters dispatched on July 14 to the Kapiolani Boulevard high-rise condominium faced a “dragon’s firebrand,” Honolulu Fire Capt. Scot Seguirant said. While the fire was significantly smaller than the Chinatown fire of 1900, which wiped out 38 acres and 4,000 homes, Seguirant said it was Honolulu’s largest fire in recent history.
“We are talking about seasoned, experienced firefighters who encountered the worst, the hottest fire that they’ve ever felt. It exceeded their highest standard of what and how dangerous a fire is,” Seguirant recalled. “This isn’t like all the other fires that we fought. This is hotter, this is stronger, this is more taxing.”