What we know
Dani Anguiano
Unprecedented wildfires burned through the Hawaiian island of Maui overnight and are not yet under control.
At least six people have died and more than two dozen have been injured, according to authorities.
The fires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and rescuers with the US Coast Guard pulled a dozen people from the ocean water off the town after they dived in to escape smoke and flames.
A charred boat lies on the scorched waterfront after a wildfire devastated the Maui city of Lahaina, 9 August 2023. Photograph: Mason Jarvi/ReutersMore than 2,100 people spent the night in four shelters on the island. State officials said they did not want any visitors to come to Maui, and that current visitors should leave.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who is serving as acting governor because Gov. Josh Green was out of state, said shelters are overflowing and resources are taxed. Thirty power lines are also down, leaving homes, hotels and shelters without electricity, the Associated Press reports.
The Lahaina fire is not yet under control, Bissen said, and officials have not determined what started the wildfires.
“I can tell you that we did not anticipate having this many fires simultaneously,” he said.
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This map from NASA shows the locations of the fires on the island of Maui. The historic town of Lahaina is where the western-most fire is:
A NASA map shows the locations of the Maui wildfires on 9 August 2023. Wildfires burned across Hawaii and prompted evacuations across the state. Photograph: NASA/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockWith power outages and cellular service and phone lines down in some areas, people are struggling to check in with friends and family members living near the wildfires, the Associated Press reports.
Tiare Lawrence, who grew up in Lahaina, was frantically trying to reach her siblings Wednesday morning. They live in a residential area of Lahaina, near where a gas station exploded, Lawrence said.
“There’s no service so we can’t get ahold of anyone,” she said from the upcountry Maui community of Pukalani. “We’re still having hurricane-force winds.”
Fire was widespread in Lahaina Town, including on Front Street, a popular shopping and dining area, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said by phone early Wednesday. Photograph: APHer home was serving as a refuge for 14 cousins and uncles who fled the heat, smoke and flames in Lahaina.
“It was apocalyptic, from what they explained,” she said.
Lahaina is often thought of as just a tourist town, but has “a very strong Hawaiian community,” Lawrence said.
“I’m just heartbroken. Everywhere, our memories,” she said. “Everyone’s homes. Everyone’s lives have tragically changed in the last 12 hours.”
The County of Maui and other local government officials have turned to Facebook and Twitter to warn residents that the 911 system was down on parts of the island, the Associated Press reports, and that they should call police departments directly if needed.
Here is an aerial view of smoke from the fires:
An arial view of Lahaina, Hawaii amid a large wildfire which has killed six people and forced evacuations on the island of Maui in Hawaii, USA, 9 August 2023. Photograph: Carter Barto/EPAHawaii Governor Josh Green expected to speak on Wednesday eveningHawaii Governor Josh Green, is expected to be back in Hawaii on Wednesday evening, after returning home from a scheduled trip.
Green has been in contact with the White House, and is preparing to request emergency federal assistance sometime in the next two days, once he has a better idea of the damage, his office said in a news release.
Hundreds of families have been displaced and much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed, Green said in the statement.
“Heroic efforts by first responders have prevented many casualties from occurring, but some loss of life is expected,” he said. “Our entire emergency response team, including the Hawai‘i National Guard has mobilised and is being supported by FEMA.”
Biden: ‘our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed’Biden has released a longer statement on the fires, saying he urges “all residents to continue to follow evacuation orders, listen to the instructions of first responders and officials, and stay alert”.
The full statement reads:
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui, and our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed. We are grateful to the brave firefighters and first responders who continue to run toward danger, putting themselves in harm’s way to save lives.
I have ordered all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response. The Hawaiian National Guard has mobilised Chinook Helicopters to help with fire suppression and search and rescue on the Island of Maui. The US Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleets are supporting response and rescue efforts. The US Marines are providing Black Hawk Helicopters to fight the fires on the Big Island. The Department of Transportation is working with commercial airlines to evacuate tourists from Maui, and the Department of the Interior and the United States Department of Agriculture stand ready to support post fire recovery efforts.
I urge all residents to continue to follow evacuation orders, listen to the instructions of first responders and officials, and stay alert.
Kekai Keahi was in New Mexico dropping off his son at college when he found out the fire had destroyed his Lahaina community, the AP reports.
“There is no Lahaina,” he said. “Lahaina no exist anymore.”
His son won’t stay in New Mexico, and he will go back to Maui with him Wednesday.
Flames burn near Lahaina as wildfires driven by high winds destroy a large part of the historic Hawaii town. Photograph: Dustin Johnson/Reuters“He gotta,” Keahi said. “We have to rebuild.”
Keahi, who is a teacher at Lahaina Intermediate School, helped build many homes in Lahaina. “I’m pretty sure we’ll pull together and rebuild. But I don’t know how many years it will take us to rebuild,” he said.
Here is video of the fires burning overnight:
Hawaii: Maui residents escape wildfires while strong winds cause blaze to spread – video reportWhat caused the fires ?It is currently 1 pm in Maui. The cause of the fire has 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, AP reports. According to the University of Hawaii, large fires are an almost annual occurrence in some parts of the Hawaiian archipelago, though the scope of these fires is unusual.
Human-caused climate change, driven by fossil fuel use, is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including drought, wildfires and strong winds.
Steff Baku-Kirkman reacts after hearing reports that her home was destroyed along with her pets in the wildfires on Maui. Photograph: Marco Garcia/ReutersOfficials said the winds from Hurricane Dora fanned the flames across the state. The storm was about 860 miles (1,380 km) southwest of Honolulu as of 11 am local time (2100 GMT), the National Hurricane Centre said.
The worst of the high winds should end by late Wednesday or early Thursday, said Ian Martin, an NWS forecaster in Honolulu.
Biden: ‘all available federal assets’ sent to HawaiiUS President Joe Biden has responded to the fires, saying that he has sent “all available federal assets on the islands to help with the response”.
The Associated Press has spoken to Lahaina locals.
Alan Dickar, owns the Vintage European Posters gallery, which has been on Lahaina’s Front street, its main street of shops, for 23 years. He watched wildfires burn through the street on Tuesday, and now is not sure what is left of his gallery. Dickar called Front street the “economic heart of this island.”
“Every significant thing I owned burned down today,” he said. “I’ll be OK. I got out safely.”
Flames still burning through historic townOfficials have released very little information about the scope of damage caused by the wildfires, but satellite images from NASA, seen by the Associated Press, appear to show active flames throughout much of the historic town of Lahaina. Another Maui wildfire was burning near the town of Kihei.
The satellite images support videos and photos posted to social media sites that showed flames roaring through the town and burned-down buildings.
This video via an editor at the Huffington Post shows the fires burning overnight:
What we know
Dani Anguiano
Unprecedented wildfires burned through the Hawaiian island of Maui overnight and are not yet under control.
At least six people have died and more than two dozen have been injured, according to authorities.
The fires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and rescuers with the US Coast Guard pulled a dozen people from the ocean water off the town after they dived in to escape smoke and flames.
A charred boat lies on the scorched waterfront after a wildfire devastated the Maui city of Lahaina, 9 August 2023. Photograph: Mason Jarvi/ReutersMore than 2,100 people spent the night in four shelters on the island. State officials said they did not want any visitors to come to Maui, and that current visitors should leave.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who is serving as acting governor because Gov. Josh Green was out of state, said shelters are overflowing and resources are taxed. Thirty power lines are also down, leaving homes, hotels and shelters without electricity, the Associated Press reports.
The Lahaina fire is not yet under control, Bissen said, and officials have not determined what started the wildfires.
“I can tell you that we did not anticipate having this many fires simultaneously,” he said.
Opening summaryHello and welcome to our live coverage of the unprecedented wildfires burning on the Hawaii’s Maui island.
At least six people have been killed in three wildfires that have raced across parts of of the island, mayor Richard Bissen said. More than two dozen people have been injured and thousands spent the night in shelters.
Bissen confirmed the deaths during a press conference on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
Much of the historic town of Lahaina has been destroyed and the fire is not yet under control.
It is just past noon in Hawaii. We’ll bring you the latest updates as they happen.
You can send news, questions, or information you think we may have missed to me on Twitter here, or via email: [email protected].