Hawaii on fire: Winds from Hurricane Dora fanned large-scale fires on the islands, one city is almost destroyed

The dramatic scene played out on August 8 in the evening in the Hawaiian city of Lahaina on the island of Maui. People jumped into the water to escape the fire and smoke from a wildfire caused by the wind of the distant Hurricane Dora, reports CBS.

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Eyewitnesses described an "apocalyptic scene" as residents were forced to jump into the harbor's waters. The blaze engulfed the historic community, destroying dozens of homes and businesses in what observers say is the worst natural disaster in Hawaii's history since Hurricane Iniki.

Tragedy in Lahaina

Coast Guard Lieutenant Elaine Simon said people in Lahaina jumped into the water to escape. The wind drives thick black smoke towards the water.
The Coast Guard later confirmed that they had rescued a dozen people and rescue efforts were ongoing. It is not yet clear how many people are still in the water.

The extent of the damage in Lahaina is unknown, but "social media videos showed a wall of fire descending on Front Street in Lahaina and destroying a number of businesses."

West Maui no longer has 911 service. Martin said it was "very difficult" to follow evacuation orders in Lahaina because the area has no cell service and only landlines work.

The hospital system on Maui is overwhelmed with burn patients and people with respiratory problems.

Lahaina resident Tiare Lawrence likened the scene to something out of the apocalypse when people flee.

"It is so hard. I am currently upstate and have not been able to contact any of my family members. I still don't know where my little brother is. “I don’t know where my stepfather is,” she said. “Everyone I know in Lahaina had their houses burned down.”

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“Buildings on both sides were on fire. There were no fire engines at that moment; I think the fire department was overwhelmed,” Front Street business owner Alan Dickar said.

“Maui can’t handle this... A lot of people just lost their jobs because a lot of businesses burned down. A lot of people have lost their homes... It will be devastating for Maui,” he said.

The Lahaina fire is one of at least seven major wildfires that firefighters are battling across the state in treacherous conditions of high winds, low humidity and dry brush, reports HawaiiNewsNow.

The hurricane intensified the fires

The Lahaina wildfire was one of many in Hawaii triggered by strong winds that burned several structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities. Firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by fallen trees and power lines. Some people reported that they were having trouble evacuating due to traffic, smoke and oncoming flames.

The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed at a safe distance of hundreds of kilometers south of the island chain, was partially responsible for wind gusts up to 128 kilometers per hour. Strong winds led to blackouts at nightfall, shook houses and prevented helicopters from fighting fires.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported that Dora was a severe Category 4 hurricane as of the late evening of August 8 Hawaiian time.

Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency statement on behalf of Governor Josh Green, who is in transit, and activated the Hawaii National Guard.

The weather service office in Honolulu said it had extended the warning for all Hawaiian islands until 18 p.m. local time on Aug. 00. “Extreme wildfire danger remains due to low humidity and strong winds,” the office said.

Fire brigades on Maui were battling numerous fires concentrated in two areas: the popular tourist destination of West Maui and inland mountainous areas. It's not yet clear how many buildings burned down, Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said.

The gusts of wind prevented the helicopters from dropping water on the fires from the sky or determining more accurate fire sizes, Martin said. Firefighters encountered roads blocked by fallen trees and power lines as they battled domestic fires.

As of 22:00 p.m. August 8, nearly 15 residents in Hawaii were left without power.

“This is definitely one of the most difficult days for our island, given the numerous fires and numerous evacuations in different areas,” Martin said.

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She added that in the interior of Maui, winds reached 128 km per hour. One fire, believed to have been contained earlier on 8 August, broke out a few hours later due to strong winds.

"The fire may be miles or more from your home, but in a minute or two it could be in your home," Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Geese said.

Hurricane Dora has made firefighters more difficult during an already dry season.

Hawaii is sandwiched between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system associated with Dora, as explained by Jeff Powell, a meteorologist from Honolulu. “Dryness and gusts of wind create a dangerous fire situation, so that existing fires can get out of control very quickly,” he said.

"It's partly due to Hurricane Dora, but it's not a direct result," he said, calling the fires a "peripheral result" of the hurricane's winds.

Evacuation

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said at least two houses in the Kula area of ​​Maui were destroyed by fire. According to him, about 80 people were evacuated from 40 houses.

North Maui resident Caroline Lebreck was among those forced to evacuate. She said she saw the flames approaching as she made her way to the emergency shelter. “Twigs were falling on us, small but heavy enough for me to speed up,” she said.

The wind forced Maui's five public schools to close, with officials saying they would remain closed on Aug. 9.
The Red Cross opened shelters on Maui and the Hawaiian Islands. There were more than 1200 people at the evacuation center alone, and there are more than 2000 visitors at Kahului Airport whose flights have been canceled or have nowhere to go, reports USAToday.

"We're trying to protect the people in the community," Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of the evacuation of about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. According to him, on August 8, the roof of one house caught fire.

The fires in Hawaii are unlike many fires in the western United States. They tend to occur in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and tend to be much smaller than fires on the US mainland.

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Before the advent of humans, fires in Hawaii and other tropical islands were rare, and local ecosystems developed without them. This means that a fire can cause great damage to the environment. For example, fires destroy vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rains, the water can carry loose soil into the ocean, where it suffocates coral reefs.

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