Historic Hawaiian town consumed by fire, residents leap into ocean to flee flames.
A Historic Hawaiian Town Engulfed in Flames
A massive fire, fueled by strong winds from a nearby hurricane, has engulfed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina on the island of Maui.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green was out of the state on vacation but has since changed his plans and will be back tonight to address the crisis.
“The wind-fueled fires have devastated many of our communities and people will be looking to our office for leadership while we address the ongoing emergency and do what we can as a state to rebuild lives,” said Green. “We have suffered a terrible disaster in the form of a wildfire that has spread widely as a result of hurricane-force winds in the region and underlying drought conditions. Maui and the Big Island both experienced significant fires. Much of Lāhainā on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced.”
The fires were fueled by Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm, that passed to the south of the state.
“Heroic efforts by first responders have prevented many casualties from occurring, but some loss of life is expected,” he added. “Our entire emergency response team, including the Hawai‘i National Guard has mobilized and is being supported by FEMA. We have named Adjutant General Ken Hara as our state incident commander. He was my partner in Hawai‘i’s successful COVID response.”
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued residents who were forced to jump into the ocean to save themselves from the massive blaze.
All of the Hawaiian islands are under a red flag warning due to “strong winds and low humidity,” which are prime conditions for wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.
“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the agency said. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.”
BREAKING: Popular ‘Front Street’ is on fire in Lahaina on the island of Maui, Hawaii, where, authorities said, people jumped into the water to escape flames and smoke from a wind-fueled wildfire. pic.twitter.com/vPRXufhbHc
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 9, 2023
Wildfire has engulfed businesses on Front Street in downtown Lahaina in West Maui, home to 12,000 people.
The Coast Guard is responding to people who were forced to go into the ocean due to the flames.
Video credit to Alan Dickar, a local resident of Lahaina. pic.twitter.com/8uiyHQP55B
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) August 9, 2023
Please pray for the people of Maui!
As you know, we have a Church there that God has blessed powerfully called, @KumulaniChapel
We have seen some 2000 people make commitments to follow Christ there in the last 7 years.But a horrible wildfire has engulfed Lahaina.
Residents… pic.twitter.com/Sz56hK5OUB
— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) August 9, 2023
Wind-whipped wildfires raced through parts of Hawaii Wednesday, destroying homes and businesses in the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui https://t.co/mIxCVaRan4 pic.twitter.com/d8NNLVCT6c
— Bloomberg (@business) August 9, 2023
WATCH: Footage shows catastrophic scenes from Lahaina. 911 service, cell service, and some landlines are down in parts of Maui as ‘unprecedented’ wildfires rage in Hawaii pic.twitter.com/hU3wh9l9nV
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 9, 2023
😳 This is harrowing. The heat they feel within the car is likely very intense! Fires in Hawaii on Maui have reportedly burned down a large swath of Lahaina village and Front Street. pic.twitter.com/0yPwXiZcKP
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) August 9, 2023
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