#Maui County Fire Department

[larryshapiro]

Maui County Fire Department

[kiloskywalker]

An update

I know I said I was gonna try to be more active on here but life kinda got in the way.

As many of you probably know, there was a devastating wildfire that tore through the island of Maui in Hawai'i leaving billions of dollars in damage, many people without homes, businesses destroyed and as of now over 100 people dead. I made several trips in the aftermath of the fire between the West Coast and Kahului as part of my airline's decision to send aid and evacuate people from the island. All in all, I've made about 7 round trip flights between San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Kahului helping as many people as possible get aid that they need and, trying to evacuate as many people as possible. I'm back for the time being with a few days before resuming a normal flight schedule, so I hope to be back to constantly obsessing over Tarlos (as per usual), writing more of my fic (I'm currently at a little over 100 pages!), and watching and rewatching the "Red, White, and Royal Blue" movie! If you are wondering how you can help some of the victims of the Maui Wildfires check out these links below:

Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong fund: Focusing on rapid response and working with local nonprofits to understand community needs. More details.

Maui Food Bank: Collecting and distributing food to help the hungry in Maui County. More details.

Maui United Way: Providing direct relief to families and nonprofits. More details.

The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division: Providing food and resources for evacuees. More details.

Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation: Partnering with the state Department of Education to support school communities in West Maui through Oct. 1. More details.

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: Working to match every donation to Maui fire victims as of Friday evening. More details.

Catholic Charities Hawaii: Actively working with other organizations to assess the critical needs of individuals affected by the wildfires.

Maui Humane Society: Supporting shelters for displaced people and animals, and caring for injured animals. More details.

Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Business Relief Fund: Assisting the business communities on Maui.

World Central Kitchen: Providing meals to people in need by partnering with local organizations. More details.

Hawaii Lions Foundation: Matching up to $25,000 in donations for Maui disaster relief efforts. More details.

Hawaiʻi People’s Fund: Providing immediate relief to those directly impacted by the wildfires on Maui Island. More details.

[gean-grey-blog]

I've seen a lot of "why didn't they just leave" regarding the Maui fires.

This photo is of a wildfire in Bend, Oregon in 2021. It started at a business and spread into a public forest where there is a large encampment of unhoused people. Oregon has fires every summer and fall, and the fire season is only getting longer. They have dedicated wildfire crews, and notification systems, and people are generally prepared.

Yet, we were scrambling. The people in this photo are (left) a mutual aid organizer, and (right) a county staff member. We had volunteers back in the woods evacuating people and animals from the camps, and we had just decided they needed to evacuate themselves as the fire was spreading rapidly. At about the same time the fire department and wildfire crews were trapped by the fire near where it started. They were able to get out in the end but a firefighter was badly injured and the fire melted a fire truck.

This is how close it is, when everyone is prepared, when everything goes right. Maui does not have specialized crews or notification systems. Maui does not have a fleet of planes and helicopters pre-loaded with fire suppression chemicals ready to take off from a base only 20 miles away.

[girlschasinggirls]

Victims of the Maui wildfires are reportedly being contacted by investors and realtors attempting to buy their land in Hawaii amid the disaster that has destroyed parts of the island.

In an Instagram video posted on Sunday, Kāko'o Haleakalā, an organization focused on preserving lands and native species in Hawaii, warned Maui residents of the calls by investors and realtors.

The claims made on social media come as the wildfires on the Hawaiian island continue to rage, resulting in mass evacuations, injuries to residents and damaged homes and other buildings. Officials in Maui County said in an update on Sunday night that the Maui Police Department had confirmed 96 fatalities across the island.

"I am so frustrated with investors and realtors calling the families who lost their home, offering to buy their land. How dare you do that to our community right now. If you are a victim and they are calling you, please get their name, get their business name, so we can put them on blast," the person speaking in Kāko'o Haleakalā's video said.

"I am so frustrated, hearing since yesterday, multiple families that I know personally were reached out and offered money from investors and realtors," they continued. "Shame on you. If you are a Maui realtor contributing to that, karmas going to come and get you."

It is currently unclear which investors or realtors were attempting to call Maui residents to purchase their land. Newsweek reached out to Kāko'o Haleakalā via email for comment.

The video posted by Kāko'o Haleakalā was reposted on Instagram by Jason Momoa, the actor from Aquaman and Game of Thrones who is from Honolulu, Hawaii.

In the update on Sunday, officials in Maui County said the Upcountry/Kula Fire, which was first reported on August 8, is estimated to be around 678 acres in size and is currently 60 percent contained. The Lahaina Fire, which is estimated to be 2,170 acres in size, is currently 85 percent contained. The Pulehu/Kihei fire is now 100 percent contained.

…

[journalsmente]

At least 36 people have died in fires burning through Hawaii, county reports

The fires were the latest in a series of problems caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events.

WAILUKU: At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, Maui County wrote in a statement posted to the county website Wednesday evening.

Wildfires, whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south, took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety.

Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured.

On Wednesday, crews were continuing to battle blazes in several places on the island. Authorities urged visitors to stay away.

Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape from under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. The couple and their 6-year-old son grabbed a change of clothes and ran as the bushes around them caught fire.

“We barely made it out in time,” Kawaakoa said at an evacuation shelter on Wednesday, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.

As Kawaakoa and Yasso fled, a senior center erupted in flames. They called 911, but didn’t know if the people got out. Fire alarms blared. As they drove away, downed utility poles and fleeing cars slowed their progress.

Kawaakoa, 34, grew up in the apartment building, called Lahaina Surf, where his dad and grandmother also lived. Lahaina Town dates back to the 1700s and has long been a favorite destination for tourists.

“It was so hard to sit there and just watch my town burn to ashes and not be able to do anything,” Kawaakoa said. “I was helpless.”

The fires were the latest in a series of problems caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events.

As winds eased somewhat on Maui, some flights resumed Wednesday, allowing pilots to view the full scope of the devastation. Aerial video from Lahaina showed dozens of homes and businesses razed, including on Front Street, where tourists once gathered to shop and dine. Smoking heaps of rubble lay piled high next to the waterfront, boats in the harbor were scorched, and gray smoke hovered over the leafless skeletons of charred trees.

“It’s horrifying. I’ve flown here 52 years and I’ve never seen anything come close to that,” said Richard Olsten, a helicopter pilot for a tour company. “We had tears in our eyes.”

State Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement Wednesday that a team is working on contingency plans and preparing for the possible loss of an elementary school that had been in Lahaina for more than a century.

“Unofficial aerial photos show the King Kamehameha III Elementary campus — on Front Street in Lahaina — sustained extensive fire and structural damage,” he said. “The Department is striving to maintain regular school schedules to provide a sense of normalcy but will keep most Maui schools closed for the remainder of this week,” he said.

The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape flames and smoke, including two children.

Among those injured were three people with critical burns who were flown to Straub Medical Center’s burn unit on the island of Oahu, officials said. At least 20 patients were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, officials said, and a firefighter was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke.

Richard Bissen Jr., the mayor of Maui County, said at a Wednesday morning news conference that he didn’t have details on how or where on the island the six deaths occurred. He said officials hadn’t yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires, but officials did point to the combination of dry conditions, low humidity and high winds.

More than 2,100 people spent Tuesday night in evacuation centers. Another 2,000 travelers sheltered at Kahului Airport after many flights were canceled. Officials were preparing the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to take in thousands of displaced tourists and locals.

Mauro Farinelli, of Lahaina, said the winds had started blowing hard on Tuesday, and then somehow a fire had started up on a hillside.

“It just ripped through everything with amazing speed,” he said, adding it was “like a blowtorch.”

The winds were so strong they blew his garage door off its hinges and trapped his car in the garage, Farinelli said. So a friend drove him, along with his wife Judit and dog Susi, to an evacuation shelter. He had no idea what had happened to their home.

“We’re hoping for the best,” he said, “but we’re pretty sure it’s gone.”

President Joe Biden said he’d ordered all available federal assets to help with the response. He said the Hawaii National Guard had mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression as well as search and rescue efforts on Maui.

“Our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed,” Biden said in a statement.

Former President Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii, said on social media that it’s tough to see some of the images coming out of a place that is so special to many.

Alan Dickar, who owns a poster gallery and three houses in Lahaina, said tourists who come to Maui all tend to visit Front Street.

“The central two blocks is the economic heart of this island, and I don’t know what’s left,” he said.

Dickar took video of flames engulfing the main strip before escaping with three friends and two cats.

“Every significant thing I owned burned down today,” he said. “I’ll be OK. I got out safely.”

Wildfires were also burning on Hawaii’s Big Island, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there had been no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there. Roth said firefighters had needed to extinguish some roof fires and there were continuing flareups of one fire near the Mauna Kea Resorts.

The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain, was partly to blame for the strong winds.

About 14,500 customers in Maui were without power early Wednesday. With cell service and phone lines down in some areas, many people were struggling to check in with friends and family members living near the wildfires. Some were posting messages on social media.

Tiare Lawrence was frantically trying to reach her siblings who live near where a gas station exploded in Lahaina.

“There’s no service so we can’t get ahold of anyone,” she said from the Maui community of Pukalani.

Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke said the flames had wiped out communities and urged travelers to stay away.

“This is not a safe place to be,” she said.

Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who was traveling. Green’s office said he’d cut short his trip and was returning Wednesday evening.

Fires in Hawaii are unlike many of those burning in the U.S. West. They tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than mainland fires. A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate.

Yasso, who fled her home with boyfriend Kawaakoa, said residents are going to need time to regroup and that people shouldn’t plan to visit right now.

“It’s everybody losing their memories of growing up,” she said. “It’s the memories for everybody. We all lost our homes with this.”

[emergencymanagementnews]

Amos Lonokailua-Hewett will take the helm Monday. He previously served 25 years in the county's fire department.

[freehawaii]

AS REPORTED WEDNESDAY ON FREE HAWAI`I TV - ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES MAUI FIRE SUBPOENAS

 NBC News - November 28, 2023 When Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez was asked about the early days of her investigation, a month after historic fires ravaged Maui, she told reporters that she hoped state and county employees would “voluntarily participate” in the official review, but noted she’d resort to her subpoena power if she needed to. Now she has. Lopez on Monday issued subpoenas to three Maui agencies who have faced public scrutiny for their response to the August fires that killed at least 97 people: The Maui Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui Department of Public Works, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply. Representatives for each have been summoned to appear on Dec. 11 to give testimony and present documents for examination. Notably, the Maui Emergency Management Agency was once headed by Herman Andaya, who resigned citing health reasons in the days following the fires, during an uproar over his decision to not sound emergency sirens many believed would have helped save lives. It is unclear if Andaya has cooperated with the investigation but, as part of the subpoena, Lopez requested records of all communications made by or to Andaya from 8 p.m. on Aug. 7, the evening before the fires, through Aug. 10. The head of the Maui Department of Water Supply, John Stufflebean, repeatedly declined to speak to NBC News in the wake of the fires, but told The New York Times that the county’s water system “depressurized” as the fires spread. Copies of the subpoenas provided to NBC News indicate the attorney general has questions about the possible pressure loss. In a news release, Lopez said other county agencies had been largely cooperative, but cited the need for “critical facts” from “key stakeholders” before the fact-finding phase of the investigation could wrap up. When it was first announced in August, the first phase was expected to last about three months and produce a comprehensive timeline of the disaster. The head of the Maui Department of Water Supply, John Stufflebean, repeatedly declined to speak to NBC News in the wake of the fires, but told The New York Times that the county’s water system “depressurized” as the fires spread. Copies of the subpoenas provided to NBC News indicate the attorney general has questions about the possible pressure loss. In a news release, Lopez said other county agencies had been largely cooperative, but cited the need for “critical facts” from “key stakeholders” before the fact-finding phase of the investigation could wrap up. When it was first announced in August, the first phase was expected to last about three months and produce a comprehensive timeline of the disaster.

[tsmom1219]

Maui water is unsafe even with filters, one of the lessons learned from fires in California

Read the full story from the Associated Press. The Maui fires damaged hundreds of drinking water pipes, resulting in a loss of pressure that can allow toxic chemicals along with metals and bacteria into water lines… The state health department’s environmental health division told Maui County, which operates water delivery systems for most residents, to test for 23 chemicals. Those are just the…

[dertaglichedan]

Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (“Hawaiian Electric”), a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) (“HEI”), today issued the following update in response to the lawsuit filed on Thursday by the County of Maui.

“Our hearts and hands are with the people of Lahaina and Maui,” said Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric. “Hawaii has thrived on the collective strength and unity of our community, and we need to embrace that spirit now more than ever. There are important lessons to be learned from this tragedy by all of us collectively, and we are resolved to figure out what we need to do to keep our communities safe as climate issues rapidly intensify here and around the globe. We invite others to do the same with us.”

Several important facts are clear about the events on Aug. 8:

A fire at 6:30 a.m. (the “Morning Fire”) appears to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds.

The Maui County Fire Department responded to this fire, reported it was “100% contained,” left the scene and later declared it had been “extinguished.”

At about 3 p.m., a time when all of Hawaiian Electric’s power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours, a second fire (the “Afternoon Fire”) began in the same area.

The cause of the devastating Afternoon Fire has not been determined.

“We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation,” Kimura said. “We believe the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible. It is inconsistent with the path that we believe we should pursue as a resilient community committed and accountable to each other as well as to Hawaii’s future. We continue to stand ready to work to that end with our communities and others. Unfortunately, the county’s lawsuit may leave us no choice in the legal system but to show its responsibility for what happened that day.”

[larryshapiro]

Maui County Fire Department - Mini-2

[epacer]

Education

Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson

San Diego Unified Superintendent prepared for a new school year of success

Summer vacation is just about over for students in San Diego Unified School District.

They are scheduled to return for the fall semester on Monday.

Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson sat down with KPBS Education Reporter M.G. Perez for a one-on-one interview and for a preview of the new school year.

Jackson said he is ready to welcome back students with a priority on their mental health.

“I think we're doing a much better job of exposing individuals, human beings to what they have been suffering with in silence. It's much more public. With that comes self-referrals. So, we're getting more students articulating what they're feeling," Jackson said.

The district is hiring more counselors and continues to empower its department of youth advocacy which provides support for children dealing with everything from gender identity to bullying, and cultural sensitivity issues.

Teachers are returning to the classroom this semester with a historic 15% pay raise over the next two years. That's just one highlight that came from negotiations that dragged on for more than a year

“They deserve that and more," Jackson said. "And we have said we want to be the highest-paying District in this County and we are very proud of our 100% benefits package. But at the core, it's a belief that our educators and our staff members deserve it. First and foremost, we as a district have to see our employees as valuable.”

This year, there will be a significant increase in the number of campuses now designated as Community Schools.

“When I was hired as Superintendent the community spoke, and the community said we need to support the whole child," Jackson said. “It's about bringing the resources of the community into the school as a hub. So, when you talk about mental health, you have support there. When you talk about physical health, we have on-site clinics. Look at Hoover, they have dental medical facilities, right on campus."

With the help of community organizations, private business, and state funding, San Diego Unified goes from just 5 community schools to 15 community school campuses across the district, this fall.

There is also the much anticipated guaranteed arts funding for every public school in California. Voters approved Prop. 28 last November which is expected to provide up to $1 billion from the state budget annually.

“We're going to hire more educators and we're going to have more programs. We're going to get instruments into the hands of our children. We're going to get great music and we are going to make sure that the Arts and academics are taking center stage together.”

Dr. Jackson and his wife did have a brief summer vacation to Maui. Their flight back home to San Diego took off just hours before the first fires started, leaving him bittersweet.

"We enjoyed (the vacation). But you know, my other thought was, gosh, I want to go back and I want to help," Jackson said. "I even had a crazy thought that we could do some hybrid learning and offer to the schools to Zoom some learning from here. We help out. And those who helped the most lost the most and it's sad. So you asked me about vacation I got away for a few days but I returned with a heavy heart." *Reposted article from KPBS by M.G. Perez on August 18, 2023

**View the KPBS video interview with Dr. Jackson at the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/kPXldMtFO-M?si=oHXgkFdIjinV7wk2 running time 3min 48sec

[tigermike]

🚨 Surprise! Republicans are lying about President Biden's response to the devastating fires in Hawaii.

The truth is, President Biden signed an emergency declaration on Thursday, within mere hours of being asked by Hawaiian officials.

In doing so, he opened up a calvary of federal assistance for Hawaii, as listed below. All of this has been confirmed by Hawaiian officials, all of whom praise the president's response.

We know facts do not matter to Republicans. So please share this information to help spread the truth about President Biden's swift response to this disaster.

DISASTER RESPONSE BY PRESIDENT BIDEN

* FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Maui on Friday. She said on Thursday that FEMA was providing meals for 5,000 people for five days.

FEMA Region 9

* Administrator Bob Fenton, who has been working from Oahu, mobilized an incident response team earlier this week to help with the federal response, a White House spokesperson told CNN.

* Fenton said that cadaver dogs from California and Washington were being brought to Maui to help in recovery efforts in affected areas in Lahaina.

* The FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team is in Lahaina and is equipped to search the interior of burned structures.

* Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public health emergency for Hawaii on Friday, retroactive to Tuesday, which gives health care providers “more flexibility” to aid people on Medicare and Medicaid, the agency said in a release.

* HHS’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response also deployed an initial team to aid emergency response efforts, the release said.

* The Hawaiian National Guard mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression and search and rescue on Maui, according to a statement from President Joe Biden.

* Biden said the Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleet were also supporting response and rescue efforts.

* The Army provided Black Hawk Helicopters to fight fires on the island of Hawaii, according to Biden.

* Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday that more than 100 National Guard personnel had been activated to respond to the fires. “As of this morning, the National Guard has activated 134 National Guard personnel, 99 from the Army National Guard and 35 from the Air National Guard, to assist with the Hawaii wildfire response,” Ryder said. “This includes liaison support to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, support to local law enforcement, and two Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters to support wildfire response operations and search and recovery teams.”

* Ryder added that three other helicopters from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade had also been deployed to assist, in addition to two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the Navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37.

* The Coast Guard has also rescued 14 people who had gone into the ocean to take shelter from the fire and smoke on Maui, Ryder said.

* The Department of Transportation worked with commercial airlines to evacuate tourists from Maui, Biden said.

* Biden’s statement also said the Department of Interior and Agriculture Department were on standby to provide assistance after the fire recovery efforts are completed.

* Biden’s federal disaster declaration Thursday made federal funding available. That funding includes grants for things like temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs for individuals and businesses, according to a FEMA news release.

* That news release also stated that the declaration would open up federal funding to the state and eligible local governments, as well as some nonprofit organizations, for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Maui County, on a cost-sharing basis.

* The declaration also makes federal funding available for hazard mitigation measures across the state, also on a cost-sharing basis, according to the news release.

[brexiiton]

Hawaii fires death toll climbs as residents tell of little warning before town engulfed

By Associated Press, 1:00am Aug 12, 2023

Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations - but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats.

But many survivors said in interviews on Thursday (Friday AEST) that they didn't hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare and only realised they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.

Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens were triggered before devastating fires killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town, officials confirmed (AP)

The blaze is already that state's deadliest natural disaster since 1960 tsunami, which killed 61 people on the Big Island. (AP)

The wildfires are the state's deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 people on the Big Island, prompted the development of the territory-wide emergency system that includes the sirens, which are sounded monthly to test their readiness.

Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in Friday to assist the search for the remains of people killed by the inferno, said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.

Thomas Leonard, a 70-year-old retired mailman from centuries-old Lahaina, didn't know about the fire until he smelled smoke. Power and cellphone service had both gone out earlier Tuesday, leaving the town with no real-time information about the danger.

He tried to leave in his Jeep, but had to abandon the vehicle and run to the show when cars nearby began exploding. He hid behind a seawall for hours, the wind blowing hot ash and cinders over him.

Firefighters eventually arrived and escorted Leonard and other survivors through the flames to safety.

Fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui this week, racing through parched brush covering the island. (AP)

Fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui this week, racing through parched brush covering the island.

The most serious one left Lahaina a grid of grey, ashen rubble, wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbour were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.

"Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina," the governor said after walking the ruins of the town Thursday morning with the mayor.

Firefighters managed to build perimeters around most of the Lahaina fire and another near the resort-filled area of Kihei, but they were still not fully contained as of Thursday afternoon.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub told The Associated Press that the department's records don't show that Maui's warning sirens were triggered on Tuesday, when the Lahaina fire began. Instead, the county used emergency alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, Weintraub said.

Myrna and Abraham Ah Hee stand in front of an evacuation centre at the War Memorial Gymnasium. (AP)

It's not clear if those alerts were sent before outages cut off most communication to Lahaina. Across the island, in fact, 911, landline and cellular service have failed at times.

Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura said the fire moved so quickly from brush to neighbourhoods that it was impossible to get messages to the emergency management agencies responsible for alerts.

"What we experienced was such a fast-moving fire through the ... initial neighbourhood that caught fire they were basically self-evacuating with fairly little notice," Ventura said.

The blaze is the deadliest US wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.

Lahaina's wildfire risk was well known. Maui County's hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.

The report also noted that West Maui had the island's second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

"This may limit the population's ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events," the plan noted.

The blaze is the deadliest US wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise. (AP)

Maui's firefighting efforts may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. There are a maximum of 65 firefighters working at any given time in Maui County, and they are responsible for fighting fires on three islands — Maui, Molokai and Lanai — he said.

Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but the department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said. That means fire crews can't attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas.

High winds caused by Hurricane Dora made this week's task especially difficult. "You're basically dealing with trying to fight a blowtorch," Lee said.

The mayor said that as people attempted to flee Lahaina, downed power poles added to the chaos by cutting off two important roads out of town, including one to the airport. That left only one narrow, winding highway.

The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames. (AP)

Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the US in January 2022, said that when he heard fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.

"I opened the door, and the fire was almost on top of us," he said from an evacuation centre at a gymnasium. "We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day, because the fire didn't stop."

Vasquez and his brother Eduardo escaped via roads that were clogged with vehicles. The smoke was so toxic that he vomited. He said he's not sure his roommates and neighbours made it to safety.

Chelsey Vierra said Thursday that she didn't know if her great-grandmother, Louise Abihai, managed to escape her senior living facility, which witnesses saw erupt in flames.

"She doesn't have a phone. She's 97 years old," Vierra said. "She can walk. She is strong."

Firefighters managed to build perimeters around most of the Lahaina fire and another near the resort-filled area of Kihei, but they were still not fully contained Thursday afternoon. (AP)

Relatives were monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. "We don't know who to ask about where she went," said Vierra, who fled the flames.

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster on Maui on Thursday and promised to streamline requests for assistance to the island.

[newsakd]

[ad_1] Authorities say more than 271 structures have been impacted, as fires continue to burn into early evening local time.A federal team has arrived on the island to assist in search and rescue efforts in Lahaina, Maui County said Wednesday.Close to 100 Maui firefighters have been on duty around the clock, including 11 from the state airport, the county said. The Maui Fire Department has reached out for additional support, requesting 20 more firefighters from Honolulu, Oahu and an incident management team.Firefighters are addressing spot fires in Lahaina. Two Chinooks, along with four Windward Aviation helicopters, have been battling all three fires with water drops. Three additional helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy have conducted search and rescue along the West Maui coastline, the county said.The Maui FD reported no significant changes for the Lahaina, Upcountry and Pūlehu fires as of the afternoon local time.There are no new evacuations, however, motorists are prohibited from entering Lahaina while the fire is active, with police on hand to prevent entry into the area. Residents who are still in Lahaina have been advised they can evacuate via Kahakuloa. [ad_2] Source link