HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Officials released more information on Thursday about the ambulance that caught fire just outside of Queen's Medical Center on Wednesday.
No one was injured, but officials revealed that the vehicle had dropped off a patient just minutes before the engine caught fire. EMS said everything went according to procedure while the patient was brought to Queen's -- the vehicle was empty and idling in the standby area outside the emergency room.
"The engine was running, as they normally do when they park at the hospital to idle the vehicle," Honolulu Emergency Services Department deputy director Ian Santee said, "after they came to the hospital, upon noticing the smoke, the vehicle was turned off by another paramedic and the fire department was notified."
"They just transported a patient within the last, I would say, 20 minutes to the hospital."
Ian Santee, Honolulu Emergency Services Department deputy director
Officials said the ambulance that burned is a 2008 model with a diesel-powered engine that was swapped out in 2019 after it accumulated about 230,000 miles. The new engine that caught fire on Wednesday had about 65,000 miles on it.
"Usually about 100,000 miles we take them from the front line. We want to put them into the reliever pool. At about 200,000 miles, we use them for training purposes," Santee said.
A local diesel mechanic said a fuel leak could be the culprit since emergency medical technicians saw smoke while the vehicle was idling.
"It probably had a small leak on the way to the hospital and as it sat there and just idled, the fuel would drip, drip, drip on to the exhaust and then finally it ignited," Sonny's Service & Repair owner Sonny Borja said.
Honolulu Fire Department officials are investigating the official cause of the fire. The union that represents local paramedics said the following through a statement:
“First and foremost, UPW is incredibly grateful that last night’s ambulance fire resulted in no injuries. However, this incident highlights the urgent need for improved 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 across Oahu, and our overworked personnel are facing hazardous conditions. We urge the county to prioritize the safety and well-being of our EMS personnel immediately to ensure they can continue to serve our community effectively.”
Kalani Werner, United Public Workers State Director
There are six ambulances that are scheduled to arrive on island in 2025 and had a price tag between $350,000 and $375,000 when they were ordered. Officials said ambulances ordered in the future will cost between $425,000 $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 that fire started in the regulator of the portable air tank in the back of the ambulance but it could not be determined what ignited it.
The paramedic that was injured in the 2022 incident confirmed with KHON2 on Thursday that he took a year off work to recover and is now back on the job.