Patient dead, paramedic critically injured after Hawaii ambulance fire

A patient died and a paramedic was critically injured Wednesday after an ambulance caught fire and possibly exploded while on its way to a Hawaii hospital, authorities said.

The incident happened "for reasons we do not understand," Honolulu Department of Emergency Services Director Jim Ireland said at a Wednesday news conference.

"This is something I've never seen before," he said.

The patient in the back of the ambulance died near Adventist Castle Health in Kailua, a town on the east coast of the island of Oahu.

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A paramedic, who has been in the department for eight years, was critically injured, Ireland said, declining to identify the paramedic or provide additional details about their injuries.

Another emergency medical technician was unhurt, Ireland said.

"All our paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers are all treasured members of our staff and our family," Ireland said. "They save lives every day."

"It's a very, very difficult night for us tonight," he added, his voice breaking.

The Honolulu Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire, Ireland said.

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.