Hawaii wildfires kill 36 as 'apocalypse' hits resort city
Send a link to a friend
[August 10, 2023]
By Marco Garcia
KAHULUI, Hawaii (Reuters) -At least 36 people have died after wildfires,
fanned by winds from a faraway hurricane, devastated much of the resort
city Lahaina on Hawaii's Maui island, the Maui County said in a
statement late on Wednesday.
Multiple neighborhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of
the island was nearly cut off, with only one highway open and thousands
to evacuate as officials told of widespread devastation to Lahaina, its
harbor and surrounding areas.
Some people fled into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames.
"We just had the worst disaster I've ever seen. All of Lahaina is burnt
to a crisp. It's like an apocalypse," said Lahaina resident Mason Jarvi,
who escaped from the city.
Jarvi showed Reuters pictures he took of the ashen-colored destruction
along the Lahaina waterfront. Wearing shorts, he also showed blisters on
his thigh that he said he suffered when riding through flames on his
electric bike to save his dog.
Aerial video showed pillars of smoke rising from block after block of
Lahaina, the largest tourist destination on Maui and home to multiple
large hotels.
"It's like an area was bombed. It's like a war zone," said helicopter
pilot Richard Olsten, according to Hawaii News Now.
With firefighters battling three major blazes, western Maui was closed
to all but emergency workers and evacuees.
Some 271 structures were damaged or destroyed, the Honolulu
Star-Advertiser reported, citing official reports from flyovers
conducted by the U.S. Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department.
The fires, which started Tuesday night, also scorched parts of the Big
Island of Hawaii. The state said thousands of acres burned.
TOURISTS FLEE
More than 11,000 travelers were evacuated from Maui, Ed Sniffen of the
Hawaii Department of Transportation said late on Wednesday. Though at
least 16 roads were closed, the Maui airport was operating fully and
airlines were dropping fares and offering waivers to get people off the
island, Sniffen had said earlier in the day.
Panicked evacuees posted images on social media showing clouds of smoke
billowing over once-idyllic beaches and palm trees.
"I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the
banyan trees and took everything with it. And I just ran out and helped
everyone I could along the way," said Dustin Johnson, who was in Lahaina
Harbor working for a charter boat company that offers two-hour tours. He
spoke from Kahului Airport, normally a 25-minute drive east of Lahaina.
Some people were forced to jump into the Pacific Ocean to escape the
smoke and fire conditions, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue
them, according to a Maui County press release.
Officials said they were looking into witness reports of people being
trapped in their cars.
[to top of second column]
|
Smoke billows near boats docked at
Lahaina as wildfires driven by high winds destroy a large part of
the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii, U.S. August 9, 2023. Dustin
Johnson/Handout via REUTERS
"Local people have lost everything. They've lost their house.
They've lost their animals. It's devastating," said Jimmy Tokioka,
director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development
and Tourism.
At least 20 people suffered serious burns and were airlifted to
Oahu, Hawaii News Now reported, citing officials.
Evacuation efforts were complicated by power outages and disruption
to cell phone service, as communication with the west side of Maui
was only available via satellite, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke
said.
"We have shelters that are overrun. We have resources that are being
taxed," Luke said.
SUMMER OF WILDFIRES
The situation in Hawaii recalled scenes of devastation elsewhere in
the world this summer, as wildfires caused by record-setting heat
forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece,
Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe, and western Canada
suffered unusually severe fires.
Human-caused climate change, driven by fossil fuel use, is
increasing the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather
events, scientists say, having long warned that government officials
must slash emissions to prevent climate catastrophe.
The White House issued a message of condolence from President Joe
Biden, who praised the work of firefighters and ordered "all
available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response."
The National Guard, U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard were
mobilized, while the U.S. Department of Transportation aided
evacuation efforts, Biden said.
Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, said U.S. assistance had already been authorized.
The cause in Maui had yet to be determined but the National Weather
Service said the fires were fueled by a mix of dry vegetation,
strong winds, and low humidity.
Officials said the winds from Hurricane Dora fanned the flames
across the state. The storm was about 860 miles (1,380 km) southwest
of Honolulu as of 11 a.m. local time (2100 GMT), the National
Hurricane Center said.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said late on Wednesday that
the National Weather Service has canceled the "Red Flag Warning" and
"High Wind Advisory" for all Hawaiian islands.
(Reporting by Marco Garcia in Kahului; Additional reporting by Rich
McKay in Atlanta, Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Julia Harte in New
York, and Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Writing by Daniel Trotta;
Editing by Aurora Ellis, Sandra Maler, Shri Navaratnam and Alex
Richardson)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |