Manhunt underway for suspect behind fires at 3 high-rise resorts in Hawaii
Police released images of a "person of interest" in the cases on Wednesday.
Police are searching for a person of interest in a string of fires at three high-rise resorts in Hawaii over a three-day span.
The Honolulu Police Department released images of an unidentified person on Wednesday, asking for information about his whereabouts.
The images were taken from surveillance video at the scene of each fire in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, police said. Authorities declined to say how the fires were started, but investigators said they appeared to be intentional.
The blazes caused nearly $2 million in damages, according to the the Honolulu Fire Department. Honolulu Fire Capt. Scot Seguirant said all three fires started at night in a hallway on floors with guest rooms.
Guests were forced to evacuate in each case. There were no injuries reported.
The first incident occurred Sunday night when a suspect ignited two blazes on two separate floors at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, causing about $4,000 in damages, authorities said. Hotel security officers responded to fire alarms and quickly extinguished the fires.
The second blaze broke out the following night on the 14th floor of the 25-story Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, located less than a mile away from the scene of the first fire, authorities said.
Seguirant said a fire alarm and sprinkler system were activated, which alerted guests and contained the fire quickly.
Police confirmed that an accelerant had been used to ignite that fire, causing an estimated $1.8 million in damages.
"While the guests were evacuated from the hotel, two rooms had been burglarized," the police department said. "A male was seen on video surveillance carrying at least two backpacks that appear similar to the ones taken in the burglary."
The final fire in the trio broke out on Tuesday night on the 28th floor of Hilton Hawaiian Village Grand Waikikian Tower, where hotel workers extinguished the blaze with a fire extinguisher. Authorities said the fire caused estimated $10,000 in damage.