According to Maui County, the fatality toll from Hawaii fires continues to increase.
In the dark on Wednesday, a huge fire broke out in the center of Maui, an island in the Hawaii Islands. The relentless fire reduced a significant portion of the historic city to ashes, forcing people to desperately jump into the sea to escape its burning grip. The toll was severe, with at least six lives lost, dozens injured, and a staggering 271 structures either damaged or obliterated. As of Wednesday afternoon, flames continued to burn, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which lies far south of the Hawaiian cluster of islands. There were fears that the number of casualties could rise.
A few planes were able to take to the skies once more, amid somewhat abated gusts, allowing the pilots to realize the enormity of the destruction. Aerial observations conducted by the US Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department over the coastal town of Lahaina revealed the depth of the tragedy, said Mahina Martin, a spokeswoman for Maui County.Aerial footage revealed the ruins of countless homes and structures in Lahaina, a popular tourist spot for shopping and dining, especially along Front Street. This bustling locale was reduced to smoking wreckage strewn along the water’s edge.
Hawaii National Guard was activated to provide assistance
Boats in the harbor are charred marks, and an ash haze hangs over the skeletal remains of charred trees. Helicopter pilot Richard Wolsten, who has accumulated 52 years of flying experience, expressed his shock, saying, “It’s terrifying. I’ve been flying here for 52 years and I’ve never seen anything close to this. Our eyes were filled with tears, including the other pilots, mechanics aboard, and myself.” Acting Governor Sylvia Luke described the fire as having “wiped out the community”, declaring the area unsafe and urging commuters to evacuate. Maui officials urged visitors to evacuate Lahaina, and a large bus evacuation was launched to transport people directly to the airport, the county reported.
The West Maui region was plunged into darkness, without cell service, landline communications and power, the county said. Although the precise ignition of the fire was elusive, a combination of factors, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation, likely played a role, according to Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general of the Hawaii State Department of Defense. Experts also emphasize that the cumulative effect of climate change is intensifying the likelihood of severe weather events. Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University, highlighted, “Climate change in many parts of the world is increasing the dryness of vegetation, because temperatures are hotter.
Even with an equal amount of rainfall, elevated temperatures lead to a faster drying out of things. .” The wildfire, driven by relentless winds, swept through the area with alarming speed and ferocity, climbing through intersections and leaping past historic wooden structures in downtown Lahaina, a site that dates back to the 1700s and holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Tierre Lawrence shared the harrowing experience of 14 of her cousins and uncles who fled Lahaina and found refuge at her home in Pukalani, east of Lahaina. “From what they explained it was apocalypse,” he said.
Keumoku Kapu, a resident of Lahaina, described frantic efforts to secure items loose in the air at the cultural center he runs before he and his wife were forced to evacuate. “Right then, things got crazy, the wind started picking up,” he said, expressing the sudden intensity of the situation. He describes how they narrowly escaped, only to have their building engulfed in flames moments later. Fire crews battled three separate fires across Maui: one in Lahaina, another in southern Kihei and a third in mountainous inland communities known as the Upcountry, Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin shared. In Kula, an upcountry community, at least two homes were destroyed Tuesday by a fire that has consumed about 1.7 square miles (4.5 square kilometers), Maui County Mayor Richard Beesen Jr. said.
On Hawaii’s Big Island, there were no reports of injuries or loss of homes from the three wildfires as of Wednesday, according to Mayor Mitch Roth. Firefighters were able to extinguish several roof fires.The National Weather Service attributed the gusts to 60 mph (97 kph) exceeding Hurricane Dora, which is safely positioned 500 miles (805 km) south of the island chain. The high winds caused power outages, collapsed homes and grounded firefighting helicopters in Maui. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard conducted a rescue operation, saving 14 people, including two children, who sought refuge at sea to escape the fire and smoke, the county said in an official statement.
Although the wildfires on Maui claimed six lives, search and rescue efforts continued, and as Mayor Beesen noted, the death toll is likely to rise. Six patients were airlifted from Maui to Oahu Tuesday night, according to Speedy Bailey, regional director of air ambulance service Hawaii Life Flight. Out of those, three endured serious burns and were transported to the burn unit at Straub Medical Center. The remaining patients were conveyed to different hospitals in Honolulu. At least 20 additional patients were admitted to Maui Memorial Medical Center. Responding to the crisis, Acting Governor Luke issued an emergency declaration on behalf of Governor Josh Green, who was traveling. The Hawaii National Guard was activated to provide assistance.
“In some parts of Maui, we have shelters that are overwhelmed,” Luke revealed, emphasizing the strain on resources. President Joe Biden, in a statement Wednesday evening, announced the deployment of “all available federal resources” to assist Hawaii. He highlighted the assistance of the Coast Guard and Navy in response and rescue operations, while the Marines contributed Black Hawk helicopters to combat the wildfires. While the exact number of evacuees was not immediately available, it was revealed that four shelters were operating, housing around 2,100 individuals. Kahului Airport, the primary aviation center of Maui, provided refuge for 2,000 passengers identified by the county.
These individuals had either encountered flight cancellations or had recently landed on the island. In preparation, the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu was prepared to accommodate up to 4,000 displaced tourists and local residents. “Local people have lost everything,” commented James Tokyoka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “They were compelled to say their goodbyes to their houses, and their treasured animals also endured unfortunate hardships.
Former President Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii , expressed his grief on social media, saying, “Michelle and I are thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one or whose life has been turned upside down. Keaumoku Kapu, owner of the Na Ikane and Maui Cultural Center in Lahaina, expressed the urgency of their flight, leaving them with no time to collect invaluable research materials and artifacts. “We had accumulated years’ worth of research materials, along with precious artifacts,” he expressed with sorrow.
Alan Dicker, owner of the Vintage European Poster Gallery, which stood as a fixture on Lahaina’s Front Street for 23 years, recorded frequent torching of shops and eateries by tourists just before it was moved. Expressing his sense of loss, he said, “Every important thing I owned was burnt today.” Beyond its reputation as a tourist destination, Lahaina maintains a strong Hawaiian community, as Lawrence emphasized.Expressing her heartache, she said, “I’m just heartbroken. Everywhere, our memories… everyone’s home. Everyone’s lives have changed tragically in the last 12 hours.”
The death toll from Hawaii fires continues to rise, according to Maui County
