(BIVN) – Police are investigating a fatal structure fire that occurred early Wednesday morning in Hilo.

The fire occurred at one the lodging buildings at the Wild Ginger Inn on the 100 block of Puueo Street. A severely burnt body was discovered in the remnants of the structure, while another missing person is unaccounted for.

UPDATE – (October 23) – The missing person was later located offsite by the Hawaiʻi Police Department. The person was uninjured.

The Hawaiʻi County Fire Department says crews on scene at the time of the fire were able to work with police and the hotel staff to identify, locate and evacuate hotel occupants, and unhoused people around the area. A shelter was set up at Clem Akina Park for displaced occupants.

The fire forced the closure of Highway 19 and Puueo Street as police and fire personnel responded to the blaze.

photo of fire crews at the Wild Ginger Inn on Wednesday afternoon

From a police news release issued on Wednesday morning:

At 2:00 a.m., South Hilo patrol officers and Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel responded to a reported structure fire at a lodging establishment. Upon arrival, the structure was fully engulfed in flames, with portions of the building already collapsed.

Witnesses at the scene reported seeing flames coming from the roof. Responding officers contacted a 34-year-old female manager who reported that eight rooms were occupied at the time of the fire and all but two occupants had been accounted for.

After firefighters extinguished the blaze, a severely burnt body was discovered in the remnants of the structure. A search for the second unaccounted person remains ongoing.

Area I Criminal Investigation Section personnel and Hawai‘i Fire Department inspectors responded to the scene and are continuing the investigation, which is currently classified as a fire and a coroner’s inquest. The identity of the victim and the cause of the fire remain under investigation.

An autopsy is scheduled for later this week to determine the exact cause of death. The identity of the victim is pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.

The structure and its contents, with an estimated value of $1,402,100, were determined to be a total loss.

Anyone who has information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Robert Kamau of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2384, or via email at robert.kamau@hawaiipolice.gov. Information may also be provided through the department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.