Fire officials said the blast happened while chemicals were being mixed in a pool pump room.
HONOLULU, HI — A worker was injured Tuesday morning after reported explosions at the Wayfinder Waikīkī Hotel sent firefighters, a hazardous materials crew and police to Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu fire officials said.
The Honolulu Fire Department said the incident began with a 911 call at 7:53 a.m. June 9 reporting explosions at the hotel at 2375 Kalākaua Ave. The response brought four fire units, including a HazMat unit, and 15 fire personnel to one of Honolulu’s busiest visitor districts.
The first fire unit arrived at 7:58 a.m., established command and found the area where the explosions had been reported. Fire officials said crews determined there was “nothing actively exploding,” then isolated and evacuated the immediate area. Firefighters found the injured worker on the pool deck and began a medical assessment before providing basic life support. Emergency Medical Services arrived soon after and took over patient care.
Officials said the explosions happened while the worker was mixing chemicals in the pool pump room while preparing for pool cleaning tasks. EMS said the injured worker was an adult man and was in stable condition after the blast. Fire officials did not release his name, age or the exact nature of his injuries. No other injuries were reported among hotel guests, staff, firefighters or other responders.
The HazMat crew entered the pool pump room to collect samples of the chemicals involved and help identify the products. Fire officials said the unit then contacted the appropriate agencies to handle chemical disposal and cleanup. The department did not say which chemicals were mixed, how much material was involved or whether the pool area sustained damage. Those details remained unknown as of Saturday.
Honolulu police also responded to control traffic near the hotel. The fire department said the area stayed isolated after crews completed their initial response, and custody of the scene was turned over to police. Officials did not announce arrests or citations, and no criminal charges had been reported in connection with the incident. The next steps were expected to include cleanup, chemical handling and any follow-up review by city agencies.
The response unfolded in Waikīkī, where Kalākaua Avenue runs through a dense hotel, restaurant and retail corridor near the beach. A chemical incident inside a hotel service area can bring a large public safety response because responders must treat the scene as both a medical call and a possible hazardous materials event until the products are identified. In this case, officials said the response included evacuation of the immediate area, sample collection and coordination for disposal.
The Wayfinder Waikīkī Hotel remained the focus of the response Tuesday morning as crews worked around the pool area and pump room. Firefighters accounted for all department personnel before leaving the scene. Officials did not say how many guests or workers were moved during the evacuation, how long the isolation zone stayed in place or when normal operations resumed at the property.
As of Saturday, June 13, officials had reported one injured worker in stable condition, no firefighter injuries and no additional victims. The chemical cleanup and any agency review remained the next public steps in the case.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.