Oahu ambulance caught fire 20 minutes after dropping off patient

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Officials released more information Thursday about the ambulance that caught fire Wednesday just outside Queen’s Medical Center.

No one was injured, but authorities revealed the vehicle had dropped off a patient minutes before the engine caught fire. Emergency Medical Services said everything went according to procedure while the patient was brought to Queen’s – the vehicle was empty and idling in the waiting area outside the hospital room. emergency.

“The engine was running, as they usually do when they pull up to the hospital to turn the vehicle around,” said Ian Santee, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services. “After they arrived at the hospital, after they noticed the smoke, the vehicle was extinguished by another paramedic and the fire department was notified.

“They just transported a patient in the last, I would say, 20 minutes to the hospital.”

Ian Santee, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services

Authorities said the ambulance that burned is a 2008 model with a diesel engine that was replaced in 2019 after accumulating about 230,000 miles. The new engine that caught fire Wednesday had about 65,000 miles on the odometer.

“Typically we take them off the front lines after about 100,000 miles. We want to put them in the relief pool. At about 200,000 miles, we use them for training purposes,” Santee said.

A local diesel mechanic said a fuel leak may have been the cause, as emergency medical technicians saw smoke while the vehicle was idling.

“There was probably a small leak on the way to the hospital and as it was idling there, fuel was leaking, leaking, leaking out the exhaust and then eventually it caught fire,” said Sonny Borja, owner of Sonny’s Service & Repair.

Honolulu firefighters are investigating the official cause of the fire. The union that represents local paramedics said the following in a statement:

“First and foremost, UPW is incredibly grateful that last night’s ambulance fire did not result in any injuries. However, this incident highlights the urgent need to improve EMS working conditions and vehicle safety. Despite multiple attempts to meet with the Mayor, no progress has been made. Staffing shortages are causing significant service delays on Oahu, and our overworked staff are facing unsafe conditions. We urge the County to immediately prioritize the safety and well-being of our EMS personnel to ensure they can continue to effectively serve our community.”

Kalani Werner, state director of the United Public Workers union

Six ambulances are expected to arrive on the island in 2025 and were priced between $350,000 and $375,000 at the time they were ordered. Officials said ambulances ordered in the future would cost between $425,000 and $450,000.

A 91-year-old patient died while being transported in an ambulance that caught fire outside Castle Hospital in Kailua in August 2022. A paramedic was also seriously burned, and a final report said a fire started in the hospital’s portable air tank regulator in the back of the ambulance, but it could not be determined what ignited it.

The paramedic injured in the 2022 incident confirmed to KHON2 Thursday that he took a year off to recover and is now back to work.