WAILUKU.- Several thousand residents ran out of their homes in Maui while the Lahaina fire It devastated the Hawaiian island causing at least 36 deaths and burning parts of a century-old town.
The fires took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once-busy streets and smoking rubble piles where historic buildings stood. The fire raged through the night, forcing adults and children alike into the ocean for safety.
Maui County updated the death toll on its website Wednesday night and said no further details about the fatalities were available at this time. Authorities had earlier said that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed by the flames and dozens of people were injured.
Crews were still fighting the flames at various points on the island on Wednesday. Authorities asked visitors to stay away from the area.
Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described their harrowing escape under smoky skies Tuesday afternoon. After a quick visit to the supermarket to buy water, the couple and their six-year-old son barely had time to grab some clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire.
“We almost didn’t make it on time,” Kawaakoa said at an evacuation center on Wednesday, still uncertain if anything of her apartment was left standing.
As Kawaakoa and Yasso escaped, across the street, a senior center was on fire. They called the 911 emergency phone but did not know if people were able to get out on time. Fire alarms were sounding. As they moved away, downed utility poles and fleeing cars slowed their progress.
Kawaakoa, 34, grew up in the apartment, called Lahaina Surf, which is also where her father and grandmother lived. Lahaina Town dates back to the 18th century and has long been a favorite destination for tourists.
“It was very hard to sit there and watch my city burn down helplessly,” he said. “I felt powerless.”
The Hawaiian fires were fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which passed well to the south. They are the latest in a series of problems caused by extreme weather across the planet this summer. According to experts, climate change is increasing the chances of these phenomena occurring.
As the winds eased on Maui, some flights resumed Wednesday, allowing pilots to see the extent of the devastation. Aerial video of Lahaina showed dozens of flattened homes and businesses, including on Front Street, where tourists used to go shopping and dining. Smoldering piles of rubble lay along the waterfront, the boats in the harbor were damaged, and gray smoke rose from the leafless skeletons of charred trees.
On Maui there were about 14,500 customers without power on Wednesday. With mobile and landline lines down in some areas, many people were having trouble contacting family and friends living near the affected areas. Some posted messages on social media.
Tiare Lawrence was desperately trying to contact her siblings who live near where a gas station exploded in Lahaina.
“There is no coverage, so we can’t contact anyone,” he said from the Pukalani community, also on Maui.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara of the state Defense Department told reporters late Wednesday that they were working to restore communications, distribute water and possibly mobilize more security. National Guard helicopters had dropped about 568,000 liters (150,000 gallons) of water to put out the fires on Maui, he added.
State Department Education Chief Keith Hayashi said in a statement Wednesday that a team was working on contingency plans and preparing for the possible loss of an elementary school that had been operating in Lahaina for more than a century.
“Unofficial aerial photos show that the King Kamehameha III Elementary School campus — on Front Street in Lahaina — sustained extensive structural damage from the fire,” he added. “The Department is attempting to maintain regular school hours to provide a sense of business as usual, but will keep most Maui schools closed for the remainder of the week.”
The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people, including two children, who had jumped into the water to escape the flames and smoke.
Among the injured were three people with critical burns who were taken to the burn unit at Straub Medical Center on the island of Oahu, authorities said. At least 20 patients were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, they added, and one firefighter admitted for smoke inhalation was in stable condition.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
