At least 36 people have died on Maui as fires burn through Hawaii It makes the Maui wildfires the countrys most lethal of the past century. A Division of NBCUniversal. Many were caught completely off guard and with barely enough time to escape the flames. "Far more devastating than any material loss, is the loss of precious lives," the governor said. Mass evacuations are underway as thousands of tourists and residents race to escape the fires that are destroying one of the most beautiful and historic areas of Hawaii. KAHULUI, Hawaii (AP) A wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in darkness Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames. Local government agencies have been under intense scrutiny for their actions as the Lahaina fire was spreading. The department is striving to maintain regular school schedules to provide a sense of normalcy, but will keep most Maui schools closed for the remainder of this week, he said. Lahaina resident said his home was burned down, but he stayed in the town to help. The governor has said at least 1,000 hotel rooms have been set aside for displaced residents and first responders. Josh Green warned the death toll will likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire. Mori told CBS News Tuesday she and her family safely escaped. ", Mr. Biden said that his administration is "surging federal personnel" to Maui to "help the brave firefighters and first responders, many of whom lost their own homes, their properties, while they're out busting their neck to save other people. Experts sayclimate changeis increasing the likelihood of such events. Since the flames consumed much of Lahaina, locals have feared a rebuilt town could become even more oriented toward wealthy visitors. Na 'Aikane o Maui Cultural and Research Center destroyed in Every significant thing I owned burned down today.. Fire alarms blared. Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down, Hawaii Gov. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons (568,000 liters) of water on the fires. It has turned a centuries-old hamlet beloved by travelers and locals alike into a charred, desolate landscape. "There's a lot of distrust right now, and our responsibility as advisors in the community is to alleviate that distrust, because if we don't, it is going to be chaotic.". She is strong.". The official death is more than 110 and expected to keep growing. The Hawaii State Department of Health was asking those who have been allowed to return to Lahaina to exercise caution due to toxic ash and chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic, lead and debris. burn Uilani (left) and Keeamoku Kapu run the Na 'Aikane o Maui Cultural and Research Center which was burned to the ground in the wildfires so they set up this grassroots community distribution center in Lahaina. A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. "This is my land," Mori said. More than 2,100 people spent Tuesday night in evacuation centers. She later spotted a body leaning against a seawall. We are still in life preservation mode. The full cost of rebuilding from the destruction is not yet known, but officials believe it will take years for Maui to recover. The death toll now stands at 111. In this weeks wildfires on Maui, the death toll has reached at least 93. Andaya's resignation letter was brief and had no mention of the health reasons that county officials cited for his resignation. How did the fires start? Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. Much of Lahaina has been destroyed. Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation and urged tourists to stay away. Kapu returned to the rubble two days after the fire to see what was left of the town. According to Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, authorities have identified two of the 89 people whose remains have been recovered. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Wednesday that officials hadn't yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires. Acting Gov. We barely made it out, Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Maui Maui At least 27% of the burn area has been canvassed by search and rescue personnel with 20 cadaver dogs, Green said. Cellular service was down, too, making it difficult for many to check in with friends and family members. At least 106 people have been confirmed dead in the blaze that destroyed most of the historic port town of Lahaina one of several fires that broke out in Maui on Aug. 8 but hundreds more remain missing. Maui's overall population was at about 165,000. Contracts with the hotels will last for at least seven months but could easily be extended, he said. The Hawaii toll could rise, though, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been inaccessible due to the three ongoing fires, including the one in Lahaina that was 80% contained on Thursday, according to a Maui County news release. Maui fire deaths surge to 53 and likely to go higher, governor says Smoke billows near Lahaina on August 9, 2023. "We don't know who to ask about where she went," said Vierra, who fled the flames. Six forensic anthropologists with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency are assisting in gathering and identifying human remains, the Pentagon said in a statement Friday. 08-10-2023. The decision to not use the sirens, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route clogged with vehicles that were overrun by flames, has brought intense criticism from many residents following the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. In his absence, acting Gov. flammable nonnative grasses combined with hurricane-stoked winds, historical landmarks across the island were damaged, organizations are accepting donations to assist. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. wow, the start of the shot is right by the banyan tree. Maui Maui surveys the burned wreckage caused by the deadliest US Power was also out in parts of Maui. Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats. Sinco Kelleher reported from Honolulu and Perry from Wellington, New Zealand. How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap - The New York Times WebSame. Wildfires have devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing at least six people, damaging or destroying over 270 structures and reducing most of a historic town to ash The family of Keeamoku and Uilani Kapu run the Na 'Aikane o Maui Cultural and Research Center which was burned to the ground in the wildfires so they set up this grassroots community distribution center in Lahaina. Firefighters managed to build perimeters around most of the Lahaina fire and another near the resort-filled area of Kihei, but they were still not fully contained Thursday afternoon. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed by fires that were still burning, he said. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, from the Hawaii State Dept. So I cannot go anywhere. About 14,500 customers in Maui were without power early Wednesday. Thousands of residents and visitors were forced to evacuate. We barely made it out, Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter on Wednesday, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment. Maui As the family fled, they called 911 when they saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility across the road erupt in flames. Photo: Reuters But many of the survivors said in interviews Thursday that they didn't hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare, only realizing they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons (568,000 liters) of water on the Maui fires. Greens office said hed cut short his trip and was returning Wednesday evening. Maui County tells tourists to come back just stay out of the President Joe Biden said hed ordered all available federal assets to help with the response. They include investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the U.S. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, of the Hawaii State Department of Defense, told reporters Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, distribute water, and possibly add law enforcement personnel. Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that two Mexican nationals died in the Maui wildfires. Maui
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