Wildfires in Hawaii have killed at least six people, the evacuation of more than 2,100, and the rescue at sea of 12 others who fled the flames into the ocean. The fire has burned dozens of houses and buildings to the ground, leaving more than 14,000 homes without power. The state of emergency was declared on Tuesday night, August 8. President Joe Biden ordered the mobilization of federal resources to help with the rescue operations.
An “apocalyptic” experience, as described by survivors of the fires.
Strong winds, partly related to Hurricane Dora, fan wildfires in Hawaii. The state of emergency was announced Tuesday night, August 8, by Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, who spoke of hospitals “overcrowded with burn patients and people affected by smoke inhalation” on the island of Maui, the main affected island in the archipelago in the Peaceful.
Fires were also reported on Wednesday, August 9, on the Big Island, although for the moment, of lesser magnitude.
President Joe Biden ordered that “all available federal resources on the island help respond to the wildfires in Hawaii.”
Exact figures for the number of injuries and the extent of material losses are not yet available, Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said, adding that due to strong winds, which reached speeds of up to 129 kilometers per hour in the Inside the island, the firefighters’ helicopters have not been fully capable of putting out the fires by throwing water from the sky, nor of measuring their extent more accurately.
The main affected areas on the island of Maui are the city of Lahaina, on the coast, and the town of Kula, in the mountainous area of the island.
Images shared by residents on social networks show the fire consuming buildings in the historic center of Lahaina. Aerial video shared by island authorities shows entire blocks of buildings burning, and a thick cloud of smoke billowing into the air.
BREAKING: Aerial view from Lahaina, Maui in Hawaii shows extremely devastating scenes, majority of structures destroyed by apocalyptic wildfires pic.twitter.com/kBhoI5kv02
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 9, 2023
Due to the winds, “the fire could be several miles from your house, but in a minute or two, it could be at your doorstep,” said Deputy Chief of the fire unit, Jeff Giesea. In Kula, Mayor Richard Bissen estimates that more than 1,000 hectares were burned.
Local authorities and the Red Cross opened sites for the hundreds of evacuees. More than 2,100 spent the night in evacuation centers, according to AP figures.
The mayor of Isla Mayor, Mitch Roth, announced that they also have a plan to evacuate 400 people from four communities.
About 2,000 people, newly arrived or about to leave, are sheltering in the Maui airport.
The Palace of Congress in Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, is preparing to welcome thousands of evacuees, tourists and locals.
Sylvia Luke explained that “the emergency line is not working, the cell service is not working, the phones are not working.” Uncertainty reigns among the inhabitants of Hawaii.
“This situation is unprecedented,” Mahina Martin said.
Lahaina: the city most affected by the fires
In Lahaina, a city of about 13,000 inhabitants, “the pier has been destroyed,” declared one of the survivors. “Every single boat was on fire,” she said. The destruction of the structure and most of the city’s neighborhoods was confirmed by Sylvia Luke.
Some residents fled the flames into the ocean, said Kennet Hara, Major General of the US Army. The Coast Guard rescued them from the sea.
According to reports from citizens, due to the lack of communication lines, everything was transmitted by word of mouth. “People were running down the street saying ‘you have to get out!’ There were people on bicycles telling people to leave,” Claire Kent told CNN. She believes that there are people who did not manage to escape.
The fire swept through Front Street, Lahaina’s main shopping street. Although estimates of the extent of the material losses are not yet available, businessman Alan Dickar told the AP that “everything significant that he owned was burned to the ground today. I’ll be fine: I came out unscathed.”
Tiare Lawrence, a resident of Pukalani, east of Lahaina on the island of Maui, welcomed 14 family members who fled the city into her home.
Lawrence told the local outlet ‘Hawaii News Now’ that he still had no information on the whereabouts of his immediate family, adding that Maui is not just a tourist destination, but lives with a strong sense of community. “Everybody I know in Lahaina had their houses burned down. (…) My heart is broken. Everyone’s life took a tragic turn in the last 12 hours.”
What is known about the origins of fire?
The dryness of the vegetation, the speed of the gusts and the low levels of humidity on the island are factors that could explain the size of the fires, according to the United States National Weather Service. The University of Hawaii notes that although wildfires occur almost annually on the island, the extent of those that are developing is unusual.
The authorities indicate that the winds caused by Hurricane Dora are an explanatory factor for the speed of the gusts that fuel the fire in Hawaii, also knocking down trees and electricity poles that hinder rescue activities. The hurricane was 805 kilometers from the island on Wednesday at five in the morning, according to the National Hurricane Center of the United States.
For Jeff Powell, a meteorologist in Honolulu, the fires are a “peripheral consequence” (and not a direct consequence) of the hurricane.
Forest fires were rare in tropical island ecosystems before the arrival of humans, AP explains. Therefore, the island’s ecosystem is not particularly resilient to this type of fire. The consequences of the fire not only affect the vegetation of the island, but also that of the ocean once the rain washes away the burned earth.
With AP, AFP, Reuters and local media
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