Restaurant at Big Island’s Volcano House to reopen in stages after fire
The main restaurant at a historic Big Island hotel in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is expected to reopen in stages after a fire Tuesday that injured an employee.
The fire in the kitchen at Volcano House, the only lodge within the park, was confined to a large grill, general manager David MacIlwraith said in an email. He said there was no structural damage.
As the hotel awaits delivery of a replacement grill, the Rim restaurant, which overlooks the active Kilauea volcano, is scheduled to reopen Friday, but only for hotel guests. MacIlwraith said non-guests would be welcome as early as Tuesday.
Uncle George’s, an adjacent lounge that also serves food, is expected to reopen early next week, once the new grill is installed, he said.
The hotel’s maintenance manager, identified by a National Park Service spokeswoman as Tony Pothul, 42, suffered burns to his upper arms in the fire. He remains hospitalized and was listed in stable condition at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.
There has been lodging on the site since 1846, when a grass hut was built for visitors to the crater. Volcano House reopened in 2013 after a multimillion-dollar renovation.
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