Hawaii Fires: Tourists Warned against Travelling to Maui in Wake of Disaster

THE GUARDIAN: Officials say hotel rooms needed to house thousands of displaced residents

Officials in Hawaii have urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui, as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island after wildfires killed more than 90 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

About 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of Kahului Airport in West Maui since the scale of the devastation in the historic town of Lahaina became clear on Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

“In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the agency said in a statement late Saturday. Tourists are encouraged to visit Hawaii’s other islands. » | Associated Press | Monday, August 14, 2023


Incendies à Hawaï : le bilan continue d’augmenter, passant à 96 morts : Seule une petite partie de la zone incendiée (3 %) a été fouillée, et seulement deux victimes ont pu être identifiées. »

Deutsches Video von FAZ übers Beten für die Opfer und für die Vermissten hier.

Related.

Hawaii Wildfires: At Least 80 Killed in Maui – BBC News

Aug 12, 2023 | Eighty people are now confirmed to have been killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials say. There are fears the numbers will rise further, as hundreds are still uncontactable. Firefighters have been trying to contain fires in several areas, including the historic town of Lahaina which has been utterly devastated.

Hawaii Wildfires: Live updates.

Related.

Democracy Now! Native Hawaiian Activist Kaniela Ing on Fires, Colonialism & Banyan Tree

Aug 11, 2023 | We speak with Kaniela Ing, national director of the Green New Deal Network and seventh-generation Kanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian, about the impact of this week’s devastating wildfires and their relationship to climate change. The catastrophic fires have destroyed nearly all buildings in the historic section of Lahaina, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. What is now being described as the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history was created by conditions such as dry vegetation, hurricane-level winds and developers redirecting water and building over wetlands, which are directly related to the climate crisis. “Anyone in power who denies climate change, to me, are the arsonists here,” says Ing. “We’re living the climate emergency.”

Related here, here, here and here.

Hawaii Fires: Fresh Blaze Prompts Renewed Evacuations as Maui Death Toll Rises

THE GUARDIAN: At least 80 people killed in deadliest disaster in the state’s history, as questions asked about the local warning system

Cars destroyed by wildfires line Lahaina’s seafront main street on Friday. The death toll has risen to 67 and is expected to rise. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The death toll from the Maui wildfires in Hawaii has risen to 80 as search teams comb through the smouldering ruins of Lahaina and a new fire triggered the evacuation of another community on Friday night.

The Maui police department said the new fire was burning in Kaanapali in West Maui, to the north-east of the area that burned earlier this week. No details of the evacuation were immediately provided in the police post on social media.

The new fire and rising death toll came as Hawaiian officials sought to determine how the initial inferno spread so rapidly through Lahaina, a historic resort town, with little warning. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Hawaii Fires Death Toll on Maui Island Rises - BBC News

Aug 11, 2023 | The number of people killed in the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 53, and police said as many as 1,000 may be missing on the island of Maui. Governor Josh Green says the fires are the "largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history" and 80% of historic seaside town Lahaina is "gone". In Lahaina, tourists were forced to jump into the sea and tread water for hours. Firefighters are still battling to contain Maui's wildfires, which began on Tuesday and were fuelled by Hurricane Dora's passing winds.

At Least 36 People Killed as Fire Devastates Lahaina Town in Hawaii

THE GUARDIAN: Wildfires fanned by Hurricane Dora destroy businesses and leave dozens more people injured, officials say

At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remained active.

Wildfires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and left dozens more people injured. There have been 13 evacuations for three fires. (With videos) » | Oliver Holmes and agencies | Thursday, August 10, 2023

Related video.

NYT live updates here.

Les incendies à Hawaï ont fait au moins 36 morts, la ville de Lahaina en grande partie détruite : Les feux ont été alimentés par de forts vents, exacerbés par l’ouragan Dora. Certaines personnes ont été obligées de se jeter dans l’océan Pacifique pour échapper à la fumée et aux incendies. »

Mindestens 36 Tote bei Bränden auf Maui: Starke Wald- und Buschbrände haben Teile der Insel Maui zerstört. Behördenangaben zufolge sind 36 Menschen gestorben. Bisher seien die Brände noch nicht unter Kontrolle. »

‘Like a bomb went off’: Maui wildfires decimate historic town of Lahaina: Flames fanned by Hurricane Dora leap above buildings, leaving residents grappling with loss of life and homes »