Fires continue to rage in Hawaii: 36 dead and unprecedented destruction

Search under the rubble after wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui On August 10, a desert of burnt houses and destroyed communities was revealed. Firefighters fought a stubborn blaze that has already claimed 36 lives, making it the deadliest in the US in years. The edition told in more detail AP News.

Photo: IStock

The fire, sparked by a dry summer and strong winds from a past hurricane, started on Aug. 8 and took the island by surprise, rushing through the dry brush and outskirts of the historic city of Lahaina, a tourist hub that dates back to the 1700s and is the largest community on the island's western side.

The former capital of the island, the historic city of Lahaina, is almost completely burned out.

Maui County officials reported late on August 9 that at least 36 people had died. This made the fire the deadliest wildfire in the US since the 2018 California camp fire that killed at least 85 people and devastated the city of Paradise.

However, the death toll in Hawaii could rise as rescuers reach parts of the island that have been inaccessible due to ongoing fires or obstructions. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people were injured.

“These were large, fast-moving fires and we have only recently begun to contain them. So we're hoping for the best, but we're prepared for the worst,” said Adam Weintraub, a spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

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The flames left some people with minutes to act, and sent some people running towards the ocean. Lahaina resident Bosco Bae posted a video on Facebook on the evening of August 8 showing fire burning in almost every building on the street as sirens wailed and spark-filled winds swept past. Bae said he was one of the last people to leave the city, having been evacuated to the island's main airport and awaiting permission to return home.

Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Julia Yasso described their harrowing escape under smoky skies. The couple and their 6-year-old son returned to their apartment, then went to the supermarket to get water, and just managed to grab their clothes and run when the bushes around them caught fire.

Wildfires are raging on the Hawaiian island of Maui, leaving dozens dead and destroying a historic town.
Maui fires updates: 37 people dead and 11,000+ evacuated as wildfire burns historic Hawaii town.#MauiFires #worldnews #Lahaina. #LahainaFires #Maui #thursdaymorning #Hawaii pic.twitter.com/eSoakcgIbg

— محب الأمطار (@0AfLcgZf7N6BrQj) August 10

“We barely made it out,” said Kawaakoa, 34, at the evacuation shelter, still not sure if there was anything left in their apartment.

As the family fled, the nursing home across the street caught fire. They called 911 but didn't know if people got out. As they left, downed power poles and other people fleeing in cars slowed their progress.

“It was so hard to sit and just watch my city burn to the ground and not be able to do anything,” Kawaakoa said.

Tourists have been advised to stay away due to the raging fires, and about 11 people took off from Maui on Aug. 000, with at least 9 more expected to take off on Aug. 1500, according to Ed Sniffen, director of public transportation. Officials have prepared the Hawaiian Convention Center in Honolulu to receive thousands of displaced people.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said the island was "tested like never before in our lives."

“We grieve with each other during this inconsolable time,” he said. “In the coming days we will emerge stronger as a ‘Kaiaulu’ or community, we are resilient in our recovery.”

The fires were fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which passed far to the south.

This is the latest in a series of disasters caused by extreme weather around the world this summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events.

Bushfires are not uncommon in Hawaii, but the weather of the past few weeks has fueled the devastating blaze, and once ignited, strong winds led to disaster, according to Thomas Smith, assistant professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics.

"Vegetation in low-lying areas of Maui has been particularly dry this year, with below-average rainfall in the spring and virtually no rain this summer," Smith said.

Fires are also currently blazing across the Big Island, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there have been no reports of injuries or destroyed homes.

When the wind eased somewhat on Maui on August 9, the pilots were able to see the full extent of the destruction. Aerial photography of Lahaina showed dozens of destroyed homes and businesses, including Front Street, where tourists once gathered to shop and dine. Smoking heaps of rubble lay high in heaps along the embankment, boats in the harbor were burned, and gray smoke hung over the leafless skeletons of scorched trees.

"It's horrible. I've been flying here for 52 years and I've never seen anything like this,” said Richard Olsten, a helicopter pilot for the tour company. “We had tears in our eyes.”

36+ dead in the wildfires in Hawaii#breakingnews #MauiCounty #Hawaiifire #MauiFires #lahainafire pic.twitter.com/ygTc900NTw

— Crime With Bobby (@crimewithbobby) August 10

Power went out in parts of Maui. Cellular service was also down, making it difficult for many to contact friends and family members. Some have posted on social media.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara of the Hawaii State Department of Defense said officials are working to restore communications, distribute water, and possibly add law enforcement officers. He said National Guard helicopters dropped 150 gallons (000 liters) of water on fires on Maui.

The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people, including two children who jumped into the water to escape the fire and smoke.

The wildfires on Maui have claimed at least 36 lives. Emergency workers continue to look for survivors among the ruins of Lahaina,
View from a passing plane of the #MauiFires, and the destruction of #Lahaina.
.. #MauiFires #mekunnugwaan pic.twitter.com/5CtwYbhZbU

— محب الأمطار (@0AfLcgZf7N6BrQj) August 10

Bissen, said officials have not yet launched an investigation into the immediate cause of the fires.

Mauro Farinelli of Lahaina said that on August 8 the wind was blowing hard and then a fire somehow started on the hillside.

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"He just pierced everything with amazing speed," he said, adding that it was "like a blowtorch."

According to Farinelli, the wind was so strong that it tore his garage door off its hinges and pinned the car in the garage. So a friend took him, along with his wife Judith and dog Susie, to an evacuation shelter. He has no idea what happened to their house.

“We hope for the best,” he said. "But we're pretty sure it's gone."

At least 36 people have been killed since fires began in Maui.

More footage from the maui fires of the Maui Banyan Tree in #Lahaina #banyantree #lahainafire #MauiFires #maui #Lahaina #Hawaii #wildfire pic.twitter.com/C9T4dbThdL

— Ratnesh Mishra ?? (@Ratnesh_speaks) August 10

US President Joe Biden announced a major disaster in Maui. He ordered all available federal forces to assist with the response and said the Hawaii National Guard had mobilized helicopters to fight the fire as well as search and rescue.

“We pray for those whose homes, businesses and communities have been destroyed,” Biden said.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green cut the trip short and planned to return on August 9 in the evening. In his absence, Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency statement and urged tourists to stay away.

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