A few of the 1700s-era structures were among the hundreds of buildings that the wildfire destroyed.
Digital Desk: On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, a massive wildfire ravaged the town of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii, killing at least six people and injuring many others.
The fire, which was probably started by human activity, spread quickly in the windy and dry weather, approaching the town's historic centre, a well-liked tourist destination with stores and restaurants.
A few of the 1700s-era structures were among the hundreds of buildings that the wildfire destroyed. Additionally, it drove some locals to run into the water to escape the fire and smoke.
Richard Bissen Jr., the county mayor, said he was still looking into the six fatalities to determine how and where it occurred. He said that he was in "search and rescue mode" and warned that the death toll might increase.
Additionally, Governor Josh Green stated that he anticipated some fatalities as a result of the fire. Many persons were rushed to hospitals in Maui or Oahu after suffering burns or smoke inhalation injuries.
Six patients were evacuated to Oahu on Tuesday night, three of them were in severe condition, according to a regional director with Hawaii Life Flight.
A firefighter who had inhaled smoke was also hospitalised but was in stable condition.
Strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which was passing near Hawaii yet sent gusts of up to 60 mph to the island, made the fire worse. Hurricane Dora was roughly 500 miles south of Hawaii at the time.
On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, residents of Lahaina, Maui, can be seen watching as smoke and flames from catastrophic wildfires fill the air. A portion of one of Hawaii's busiest tourist destinations has been damaged, according to Maui officials, by a wildfire in the historic town. Mahina Martin, the spokeswoman for the County of Maui, stated during a phone conversation early on Wednesday that fire was present throughout Lahaina, including Front Street, a tourist-friendly portion of the town. (Alan Dickar via AP)(AP)
According to the National Weather Service, the winds made it difficult for firefighters to douse the fire and spread embers to new locations. The island was also experiencing drought, which made the flora more flammable.
In Hawaii, the average area burned by wildfires has increased by 400 percent over the past century, in part because of climate change and the influx of non-native grasses that act as fire fuel.
Over 2,100 people were affected by the fire and sought refuge in evacuation shelters or at Kahului Airport, which housed 2,000 stranded passengers when their flights were cancelled or delayed.
14 persons were saved by the Coast Guard as they dived into the water to avoid the fire and smoke.
Some locals called the situation "apocalyptic" and stated they had to remove their elderly relatives from their homes.
Given the numerous fires and countless evacuations in various district areas, Martin said, "It's definitely one of the more difficult days for our island."
"This is really unheard of. We are eagerly awaiting morning right now, so it's all hands on deck," he added.
The proprietor of a poster shop, Alan Dickar, who managed to flee with his friends and pets, claimed that the fire destroyed everything he had.
"Today I lost everything of value that I owned. I'll survive. I survived," he claimed.
As acting governor while Governor Green was away, Sylvia Luke on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for Maui County, allowing her to coordinate with federal agencies, activate the National Guard, and use state funds for relief efforts. President Biden was also asked for help by the governor, and he promised to mobilise "all available federal assets" to aid Hawaii in its recovery from the fires.
Maui was not the only island this week to experience flames. On the Big Island of Hawaii, three fires were raging, but none of them resulted in any fatalities, injuries, or home destruction.
As of Wednesday, one fire, according to Mayor Mitch Roth, was "pretty much under control" while another was 60% contained.
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