Historic Hawaiian Town in Ruins as Fires Bring Death and Destruction to Maui

Several thousand Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as the Lahaina fire swept across the island, killing at least 36 people and burning parts of the centuries-old town of Lahaina. The fire took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety.Maui county announced the updated death toll on its website late Wednesday, writing that no other details were currently available on the deaths. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured.On Wednesday, Maui crews battled blazes in several places on the island. Authorities urged visitors to stay away.The Hawaiian fires were whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south. As winds eased somewhat on Maui, some flights resumed Wednesday, allowing pilots to view the full scope of the devastation. Aerial video from Lahaina, which flourished from the whaling industry in the 19th century, showed dozens of homes and businesses razed, including on Front Street, where tourists once gathered to shop and dine. Smoking heaps of rubble lay piled high next to the waterfront, boats in the harbor were scorched, and gray smoke hovered over the leafless skeletons of charred trees.“It’s horrifying. I’ve flown here 52 years and I’ve never seen anything come close to that,” a helicopter pilot for a tour company, Richard Olsten, said. “We had tears in our eyes.”About 14,500 customers at Maui were without power early Wednesday. With cell service and phone lines down in some areas, many people were struggling to check in with friends and family members living near the wildfires. A representative of the Hawaii state department of defense, Major General Kenneth Hara, told reporters Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, to distribute water, and possibly adding law enforcement personnel. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons of water on the Maui fires.The state department of education superintendent, Keith Hayashi, said in a statement that a team was working on contingency plans and preparing for the possible loss of the King Kamehameha III elementary school that had been in Lahaina for more than a century.The iconic Pioneer Inn, built in 1901, was among the many historic buildings lost to the flames. The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape flames and smoke, including two children.Among those injured were three people with critical burns who were flown to Straub Medical Center’s burn unit on the island of Oahu, officials said. At least 20 patients were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, officials said, and a firefighter was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke.The mayor of Maui County, Richard Bissen Jr., said at a Wednesday morning news conference that he didn’t have details on how or where on the island the six deaths occurred. He said officials hadn’t yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires, but officials did point to the combination of dry conditions, low humidity, and high winds.President Joe Biden said he’d ordered all available federal assets to help with the response. He said the Hawaii National Guard had mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression as well as search and rescue efforts on Maui.“Our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses and communities destroyed,” Mr. Biden said in a statement.President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, said on social media that it’s tough to see some of the images coming out of a place that is so special to many.Wildfires were also burning on Hawaii’s Big Island, Mayor Mitch Roth said, though there had been no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there. Mr. Roth said firefighters had needed to extinguish some roof fires and there were continuing flareups of one fire near the Mauna Kea Resorts.The state’s acting governor, Sylvia Luke, said the flames had wiped out communities and urged travelers to stay away.“This is not a safe place to be,” she said.Ms. Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Governor Green, who was traveling. Mr. Green’s office said he’d cut short his trip and was returning Wednesday evening.

Historic Hawaiian Town in Ruins as Fires Bring Death and Destruction to Maui

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