Hawaii ‘like an apocalypse’ as historic town destroyed by hurricane-fanned fires
By Marco Garcia
Kahului, Hawaii: At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in the US state of Hawaii, Maui County wrote in a statement posted to the county website on Thursday evening (AEST).
Wildfires, whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south, took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burnt-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood.
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission burn in Lahaina, Hawaii. Credit: The Maui News
Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety. Multiple neighbourhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island was nearly cut off with only one highway open as officials told of widespread devastation to Lahaina, its harbour and surrounding areas.
Some 271 structures were damaged or destroyed, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, citing official reports from flyovers conducted by the US Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department.
“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 said as he took in the ashen-coloured destruction along the Lahaina waterfront. Wearing shorts, he also showed blisters on his thigh that he said he acquired while 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.
The fires, which started on Tuesday night, also scorched parts of the Big Island of Hawaii. The state said thousands of hectares had burnt.
At least 4000 tourists were trying to leave western Maui, said Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation. 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 said.
Panicked evacuees posted images on social media showing 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 Harbour working for a charter boat company. 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 US 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.
“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 mobile 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.
The situation in Hawaii recalled scenes of devastation elsewhere in the world this northern summer, as fires 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 US President Joe Biden, who praised the work of firefighters and ordered “all available federal assets on the islands to help with response”.
The US National Guard, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard were mobilised, while the Department of Transportation aided evacuation efforts, Biden said.
The cause in Maui had yet to be determined but the National Weather Service said the fires were fuelled 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 1380 kilometres south-west of Honolulu as of 11am Hawaii time, the National Hurricane Centre said.
A weather service wind advisory remained in effect until Thursday morning (Friday AEST).
Reuters
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