The County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks & Recreation announces that the Pu‘u‘eo Community Center at Clem Akina Park in Hilo is currently closed following a fire that damaged the building over the weekend.

The fire occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday, February 25, beneath a covered walkway on the exterior of the building. The Hawai‘i Fire Department’s quick response prevented what could have been catastrophic damage; however, the fire and smoke damage will still cost an estimated $80,000 to repair.

Clem Akina Park remains open to the public, but the Pu‘u‘eo Community Center will be closed this week to allow for the assessment of potentially hazardous materials and to initiate the clean-up and repair process.

Programs at the community center have been canceled for the week, and facility users will be notified when the community center re-opens.

Parks & Recreation is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for the fire. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Hawai‘i Police Department non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.