Closing summary
As it approaches 7.15pm local time on Maui, here’s where we’ll pause today’s live coverage of the Hawaiian island’s catastrophic wildfires and their aftermath. Thanks for joining us. To recap the latest developments:
The death toll from the Maui fires has risen to 67, making it officially the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. A 1960 tsunami in Hilo town on the Big Island previously held the designation.
Two wildfires including the blaze in the historic town of Lahaina are mainly contained and another is 50% under control, Maui county said mid-afternoon. But firefighters continue to battle flare-ups in the three fires.
Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News it was “to early for me to tell” if Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the wildfires spread. Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered.
The US military sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reported.
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin pledged “any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz said after speaking with him.
Schatz also he expected the death toll to rise and that specialists with dogs would soon be arriving on Maui to enter destroyed structures.
The fires are projected to be the second-costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported. It comes second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in 1992, killing six people and leaving an estimated $3bn in damages.
The road into Lahaina was closed this afternoon in both directions, Maui police said, without giving reasons, after some residents had been allowed back with limited access earlier in the day. Barricades remained around the town, Maui country said.
The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the Lahaina wildfire, CNN reported. Footage posted to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
Power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many residents, reports say, but nearly 11,000 were still without power in Maui as of 10.15am local time, according to PowerOutage.US.
The road into Lahaina has been closed in both directions, Maui police have announced.
The department said on Facebook this afternoon that the closure was effective immediately, without elaborating.
Some residents of the devastated town had been allowed back with limited access earlier in the day, NBC News reported.
Maui country said earlier today that barricades remained around the town and warned residents against breathing in toxins from areas still burning.
Honolulu’s KHNL TV channel cited county officials in reporting that people being allowed back had not been following rules put in place by authorities and were going into places in Lahaina where they were not allowed.
Updated
Maui county has urged residents to beware of toxic breathing hazards from remaining burning areas.
It said that barricades remained in place around Lahaina town and police had been posted to keep people out of the area.
The county said on its website:
Health officials advise that burning areas are highly toxic. Inhalation of dust and other airborne particles can be a health hazard. Hot spots still exist and wearing a mask and gloves is advised.
It also said:
With additional cellular phone service becoming available in West Maui, people are reminded to text instead of making phone calls so everyone can share the limited resources.
Three days after the disaster, it remains unclear whether some residents had received any warning before the wildfire engulfed their homes.
Reuters reports that the island includes emergency sirens intended to warn of natural disasters and other threats but they did not appear to have sounded during the fire.
Hawaii governor Josh Green told CNN in reference to the warning sirens:
I authorized a comprehensive review this morning to make sure that we know exactly what happened and when.
Officials have not offered a detailed picture of precisely what notifications were sent out, and whether they were done via text message, email or phone calls.
Photograph: Paula Ramon/AFP/Getty Images
Green described multiple, simultaneous challenges, with telecommunications down and firefighters concentrating on other major wildfires when the greatest threat to Lahaina arose.
He said that in any event:
We will do all that we can to find out how to protect our people more going forward.
Two wildfires including the Lahaina blaze are mainly contained but firefighters continue to battle flare-ups in three fires, the county of Maui says.
Its 3pm update said the Lahaina fire was 85% contained while the Pulehu/Kihei blaze – about 20 miles (30km) east – was 80% under control.
Half of the fire in upcountry Maui fire was contained, the county said on its website.
Firefighters continue battling flare-ups in all three fires.
Updated
Residents in Kula and Lahaina who have running water have been warned not to drink it and to take only short, lukewarm showers “in a well-ventilated room” to avoid exposure to possible chemical vapors, Associated Press reports
The Maui county water agency’s director, John Stufflebean, said people in Kula and Lahaina should not even drink water after boiling it until further notice, as hundreds of pipes have been damaged by the wildfires.
Whenever a water pipe is damaged or a city water tank is drawn down very quickly, it can lose pressure. That can cause the unpressurized pipes to suck in smoke and other contaminants. Some of the contaminants that are common with urban wildfires can cause cancer.
Stufflebean said crews were now shutting off valves for damaged pipes to avoid contamination. Next, the Department of Water Supply will flush the system, which could take a few days. Then officials planned to test for bacteria and an array of volatile organic compounds, following recommendations from the Hawaii Department of Health, he said.
Updated
Summary
In case you’re just joining us, here’s a rundown on the latest developments:
The death toll from the Maui wildfires has risen to 67, making it officially the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. A 1960 tsunami in Hilo town on the Big Island previously held the designation.
The wildfires continue to ravage Maui, the county announced about three hours ago. The Lahaina fire is not yet contained.
The fires are projected to be the second-costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported. It comes second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in 1992, killing six people and leaving an estimated $3bn in damages.
Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News it was “to early for me to tell” if Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the wildfires spread. Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered.
The US military sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reported.
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin pledged “any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz said after speaking with him.
Schatz also he expected the death toll to rise and that specialists with dogs would soon be arriving on Maui to enter destroyed structures.
The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the Lahaina wildfire, CNN reported. Footage posted to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
Residents of West Maui with ID showing proof of residence could access Lahaina via Maalaea – east of the fires – starting at noon local time, county officials said. Visitors with proof of hotel reservations could also enter. Schatz said Maui roads “should be opening by noon today”.
Power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many residents, reports say, but nearly 11,000 were still without power in Maui as of 10.15am local time, according to PowerOutage.US.
Updated
Brian Schatz said specialist dogs would be brought to Maui to enter destroyed structures and he expected the death toll to rise.
The Hawaii senator said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) administrator would be arriving tonight “to be on the scene by tomorrow morning”.
Schatz said in his video statement posted on X, formerly Twitter:
FEMA is sending something called a DMORT team [disaster mortuary operational response team] and those are specialists with dogs to actually enter the structures that were destroyed.
And I think it’s fair to say that the mortality count is going to rise.
Schatz added:
I’m sorry that this is not entirely good news but we’re working on it. And please hang together and please go to hawaiicommunityfoundation.org if you want to help.
Updated
Hawaii senator Brian Schatz also said that Maui roads “should be opening by noon today” so that west Maui residents whose homes were not destroyed could access them again.
He said in his video statement:
People who live in west Maui whose homes were not destroyed can also go to Kahului to pick up a prescription or whatever it is. I know people are running out of gasoline and water and all the supplies they need.
Updated
Lloyd Austin pledges 'any resources' needed, says Hawaii senator
Senator Brian Schatz says he has spoken to Lloyd Austin and that the US defence secretary “pledged any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, including debris removal.
The Hawaii senator said in a video posted on former Twitter site X that Shalanda Young, director of the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget, had also been in touch “because we’re going to need an emergency supplemental appropriations bill”.
Schatz said:
I just sort of conveyed to her that although the damage assessment won’t be done for at least another month – probably a couple of months – it’s certainly likely to be in the billions of dollars.
This is Adam Fulton picking up the live blog from my colleague Abené Clayton.
Updated
The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the wildfire that tore through Lahaina, CNN reported.
Dramatic footage shared to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
This is the first I’ve seen this video - The people who jumped into the Pacific Ocean to save their lives as Lahaina, Hawaii burned. Shocking, and terrifying.
— Justin Michaels (@JMichaelsNews) August 11, 2023
pic.twitter.com/EgQArUSWsZ
The updated fatality count of 67 makes the Maui wildfires the deadliest natural disaster in the state of Hawaii’s history. Before that designation went to a tsunami in Hilo in 1960, a town on the island of Hawaii, CNN has reported.
The waves that hit Hilo Bay reached a heigh of 35ft, compared with 3ft to 17ft waves that landed elsewhere, according to the US Geological Survey.
Updated
Maui wildfire death toll rises to 67
Sixty-seven people have lost their lives in the wildfires that continue to ravage Maui, the county announced moments ago.
The Lahaina fire is not yet contained.
Updated
The recent wildfires in Maui are projected to be the second costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press has reported.
They come second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in September 1992, killed six people and left an estimated $3bn in damages, according to a Central Pacific Hurricane Center report.
Updated
Maui wildifire death count rises to 59
Fifty-nine people have been killed in the recent wildfires on Maui, according to Hawaii governor Josh Green.
All of those deaths occurred out in the open, not inside buildings, as people were trying to escape the fire,” Green told CNN on Friday.
Updated
Residents and cadaver-sniffing dogs are inspecting what is left of Lahaina after the devastating fires decimated homes and business.
Those who returned found heirlooms and keepsakes destroyed or missing.
“My kids’ yearbooks and all that kind of stuff. Their baby pictures. That’s what hurts a mother the most,” Lana Vierra, a Lahaina resident whose home was destroyed in Tuesday’s fire told the Associated Press.
Fellow residents Summer and Gilles Gerling visited their charred home and discovered that their wedding rings were missing. They were able to recover a piggy bank Summer father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and wedding gifts they got for each other.
“It is what it is,” Gilles told the AP. “Safety was the main concern. These are all material things.”
Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in Friday to assist the search for the dead, the Maui county mayor, Richard Bissen Jr said.
Read the rest of the AP’s on the ground coverage here.
Updated
Governor says unclear if emergency siren system failed
Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News he couldn’t say whether Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the deadly wildfires spread:
It’s too early for me to tell. Much of the equipment was destroyed with fire and it’s a very remote place. This was a western edge of the island of Maui. Of course, we would never diminish any kind of responsibility …
I’m very reluctant to blame anyone. We were fighting multiple fires that were being moved. Because of these winds, we’re of course, like everyone else, dealing with the extreme changes, global warming, the drying of our land. And then when this storm passed to the south of Hawaii, that was the hurricane – it sent those winds.”
Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered, even though the state has said it has the world’s largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system, the Guardian previously reported. The county’s system did send emergency alerts to cellphones and television and radio stations, but power outages may have limited the impact.
Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the nonprofit Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, was critical of the state’s response in an interview with the the Honolulu Civil Beat. She co-wrote a report in 2014 that warned of the increasing wildfire risk to Lahaina. She told the media outlet:
We keep hearing from certain elected officials and other people being quoted in the media, ‘We had no idea, this is unprecedented.’ But actually, those of us in the wildfire community, meaning our fire agencies, our forestry natural resource management community, we have long been working to increase our risk reduction efforts…
It might not have been 100% preventable, but it could have been mitigated. It could have been lessened.”
Photos of the search operations and devastation
Here are some more images of the significant destruction and ongoing search and rescue operations in Lahaina:
Residents allowed access to Lahaina
County officials in a new update say that residents of West Maui with ID showing proof of residence can access Lahaina via Maalaea, which is east of the fires, starting at noon local time. Visitors with proof of hotel reservations can also enter.
Officials say there are measures in place to “secure the heavily impacted area”, including no unauthorized public access beyond barricaded sections and a 10 pm to 6 am curfew. West Maui remains without water and power and search efforts are continuing, the county said. One zone remains restricted with no access due to continuing hazardous conditions.
While there are reports that power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many stranded residents, there were still nearly 11,000 without power in Maui, according to PowerOutage.US, as of 10.15 am local time.
The lack of power has created additional challenges.
Kaanapali resident Albena Leon told NBC News that it was a near-total communication blackout on the west side of Maui, saying, “You on the mainland know more about what’s going on than we do. It’s all word-of-mouth, we’re in the dark, it’s like the old days.”
Leon told the station people were desperate for basic supplies, and that she had a truckload of items to deliver, but no gas to drive for distribution:
We need diapers, medical supplies, people have not had anything to eat. There have been lots of clothing donations, but we need toiletries — toothpaste, shampoo, Advil, insulin, eye drops … It’s hard, overwhelming. That’s why each of us are taking one thing we can do, and just doing it.”
How to help Hawaii wildfire victims
If you want to support relief efforts you can donate to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund:
Lahaina Town on Maui is almost totally burnt to the ground. Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control, and our first responders are in search and rescue mode. If you want to help, please do so here. Thank you. https://t.co/imol6Zr9mI
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 9, 2023
You can also donate to multiple verified organizations through this link, including Maui United Way, Aloha United Way, Maui Food Bank.
The Maui Mutual Aid Fund is helping people with physical disabilities, renters and underinsured or uninsured people, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. And here is GoFundMe’s page of verified fundraisers.
US national guard to support emergency response in Hawaii
The US military has sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reports.
Guard and Navy helicopters have launched search and rescue missions and dumped 100,000 gallons of water to stop the fires, according to the Pentagon.
California and Washington state have also sent teams to support in the efforts. “Californians know firsthand the devastating toll of catastrophic wildfires fueled by climate change, capable of wiping out entire communities and centuries of irreplaceable history and heritage,” governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Thursday. “Our state is sending resources to support our Pacific neighbors during their time of need.”
Updated
Summary of the day so far
The latest developments and updates as of 8.30 am local time in Hawaii:
Officials have confirmed 55 deaths in the fires, but have warned that the number of fatalities is expected to rise as searches continue.
More than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed and officials say the town of Lahaina looks like a “war zone” hit by a bomb.
Hawaii governor Josh Green announced Lahaina residents should be able to return to their homes today following evacuations.
Firefighters were still working to contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui, officials said in an early morning update.
Nearly 15,000 tourists have left Maui, officials confirmed today as more sought flights off of the island.
Historic landmarks, some hundreds of years old, have been destroyed.
Updated
Historic landmarks destroyed
Officials estimate that as many as 1,000 buildings have been destroyed in the fire, including numerous historic landmarks and sites with deep cultural significance. Some of the vital losses include:
Waiola church, which was destroyed by the fires, recently celebrated its 200th anniversary and had been standing since Lahaina was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 1800s, NBC News reported. It has long been a center for community meetings and was the burial site for early members of the Hawaiian royal family, Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, told the station, calling it a “staple of Lahaina”.
The Baldwin Home Museum was the oldest house on Maui, considered a historic landmark for Lahaina, and was destroyed by the fire, the Lahaina Conservation Foundation told the Washington Post. Theo Morrison, the group’s director, told the newspaper: “All that is left of the two-story Baldwin Home and its neighbor, the Master Reading Room, are the coral block and stone walls. No windows, stairs, decks, or roof.” The site was home to the offices of the foundation and contained significant artefacts.
The Wo Hing Temple Museum, a religious and social gathering place for Chinese immigrants, was also in the area of fire destruction, according to satellite imagery, CNN reported. The site was originally home to the Wo Hing Society Hall, a center for the Wo Hing Society, formed in 1909 by Chinese immigrants in Maui. The Lahaina Heritage Museum was also in a field of fire debris seen by satellite, the station reported.
A 150-year-old banyan tree appeared badly damaged, but was still standing.
The Pioneer Inn, built in 1901, was also destroyed this week, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. Hotel officials say all guests were safely evacuated.
Updated
Hundreds of dogs, cats and other pets have been separated from their families during the wildfire, according to the animal welfare group, the Maui Humane Society, the AP repots.
The organization is seeking donations and has set up a Maui fire pets help Facebook group for mutual aid. Some locals are posting desperate pleas and photos of their missing pets, while others have posted images of lost animals they’ve found. The group says it is expecting an inundation of lost pets and is in need of emergency foster homes, pet food and litter and cash support to fund medical care for injured animals. Some are in need of critical care after suffering smoke inhalation, the AP says.
Officials say that 14,900 visitors left Maui by air on Thursday.
The AP reports that airlines are adding additional flights for visitors trying to depart, and that the county of Maui has strongly discouraged nonessential travel to the island. People with planned trips to West Maui in the coming weeks should reschedule plans, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority said.
Lahaina residents should be able to return homes on Friday, says Hawaii governor
Hawaii governor Josh Green announced on Friday that Lahaina residents should be able to return to their homes today following evacuations from raging wildfires, local outlet KHON2 News reports.
During an interview with KHON2 News, Green confirmed that Lahaina residents will be able to return to their homes.
“We’re heartsick over the loss of life, but people will be able to get back into their homes today,” Green said, adding that Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. would be making a similar announcement later today.
“I want to caution everyone. Lahaina is a devastated zone. They will see destruction like they have not ever seen in their lives,” Green said, adding that residents should brace themselves and remain careful.
Green also noted that a curfew is expected to be announced on Friday.
Updated
US politicians have reacted to the Hawaii wildfires, with some Republicans criticizing Biden for continued aid to Ukraine despite the latest natural disaster.
From Vermont senator Bernie Sanders:
55 people are dead, the historic town of Lahaina has been destroyed, and the beautiful state of Hawaii has suffered its worst natural disaster ever. Jane and I send our condolences to all who have lost loved ones.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 11, 2023
Hawaii Governor Green is right; “Climate change is here, and it’s affecting the islands.” Together, we must fight for bold action to combat this global crisis.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 11, 2023
From Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene:
FEMA is underfunded by $4 BILLION, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is only funded $1 per Georgian, Hawaii’s Lahaina is in desperate need of help from devastating fire killing 50+ people, and America is broke.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 11, 2023
Biden wants to send another $24 BILLION to Ukraine.
NO!!
Parts of Hawaii are still recovering after wildfires raged through parts of the island.
Here is a video explainer on the Hawaii wildfire situation and how the fires managed to spread so fast.
Joe Biden speaks to Hawaii governor about recovery efforts
Joe Biden and Hawaii governor Josh Green spoke on the phone Friday about the Hawaii wildfires, as parts of the island recover from the natural disaster.
The governor reportedly provided Biden with an account of damage in the state and an assessment of recovery needs following the devastating wildfires.
From Voice of America’s Steve Herman:
President Biden "spoke by phone with Hawaii Governor Josh Green after Governor Green completed a survey of destruction across Maui. The Governor provided the President with a firsthand update and assessment of Hawaii’s latest needs, and thanked the Presi… https://t.co/DXaO0ymjH1
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 11, 2023
Updated
Kamala Harris says White House deeply concerned about wildfires' impact
Vice president Kamala Harris called the Hawaii wildfires “tragic” while speaking with reporters on Friday, C-SPAN reported.
Harris told reporters that the White House was “closely” monitoring the situation and was “deeply concerned” about the wildfires’ impact.
“We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work that has to be done, both in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground,” Harris said.
Harris added that she had “full faith and confidence” in Hawaii’s leadership to “stay on top” of the recovery situation.
Updated
Here are more images coming out of Maui, after wildfires devastated much of the island.
A view of flames as wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 9, 2023. Photograph: Erin Hawk/Reuters
Residents of Lahaina have rallied together to support each other and locate loved ones after devastating wildfires. More from Libby Leonard from the Guardian.
…With cell towers on the island of Maui still down, family members of residents have been taking to social media pleading for help in locating their loved ones, while grassroots volunteers have been posting lists of those who are found and those who still need to be located.
Kanani Adolpho, a Maui resident who is volunteering at the War Memorial Complex shelter in Waikulu, one of many across the island, has spent the last 24 hours posting live updates on Instagram sharing a list with names of people who have turned up at the shelter. At one point it was four pages long and contained both locals and visitors.
“My heart is sore, but I don’t want to break down in there because these people need my strength right now,” she said in one of the live videos on Instagram before returning to the shelter.
Other organizations, including the Maui Lani Mormon church also posted lists, and a longer Google document started circulating on Facebook with over 2,800 names, some of which had been labeled as located, many who have not.
Read the full article here.
Firefighters still working to contain wildfire flames
Firefighters are also still working to contain the flames of the wildfire, Maui officials said in a statement.
Firefighters were working to contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui, officials said in a Friday morning update.
Officials added that more firefighters have been added to the containment effort.
“The firefighting effort was bolstered by 21 firefighters from the Honolulu Fire Department, seven supervisory personnel and four vehicles. A nine-member search-and-rescue team also arrived on island,” officials added in the update.
Updated
A search-and-rescue team from Nevada arrived to Maui last night, Maui officials announced in an update.
The nine member Federal Emergency Management Area search-and-rescue team will be conducting searches on the island, along with two K-9 cadaver dogs.
Other states – including Missouri, California, and Washington – have deployed members from their own search-and-rescue teams to help efforts in Hawaii.
Updated
Nearly 15,000 visitors have left Maui after blazes
Nearly 15,000 visitors have left Maui after wildfires raged through parts of the island.
25 shuttle buses on Thursday transported over 1,200 visitors from area hotels to the Kahului Airport, according to an update posted at 3.18 am hst (1.18 pm gmt) by Maui county officials.
Officials added that visitors wanting to leave Maui should book a flight with an airline to Honolulu, and continue on to the US mainland.
Updated
Lahaina resident Jordan Saribay told USA Today about how he and his family managed to escape the wildfires alive.
Saribay told USA that he saw walls of fire “as tall as the buildings” and had to navigate through dangerous debris as he left.
“Everything is gone, every single one of our family homes,” Saribay said to USA. “The entire Lahaina Town and the entire subdivision of Lahaina – gone.”
Saribay added that trying to leave the destroyed town was difficult due to thick smoke from the fires.
“While driving through the neighborhood, it looked like a war zone,” Saribay said to USA.
“Houses throughout that neighborhood were already on fire. I’m driving through the thickest black smoke, and I don’t know what’s on the other side or what’s in front of me.”
Updated
Many Maui residents say they had little time to escape from intense wildfires that have impacted much of the island.
They are asking why Hawaii’s emergency warning system didn’t alert them sooner.
Here’s more on that story from the Associated Press.
Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii’s famous emergency warning system didn’t alert them as wildfires raced toward their homes.
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…
But many of Lahaina’s survivors said in interviews at evacuation centers that they didn’t hear any sirens and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.
Thomas Leonard, a 70-year-old retired mailman from Lahaina, didn’t know about the fire until he smelled smoke. Power and cell phone service had both gone out earlier that day, 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 shore 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.
Read the full article here.
Pope Francis sends condolence telegram to Hawaii
Pope Francis has sent a telegram of condolences to the people of Hawaii, offering prayers for the victims, the injured and displaced from the wildfires, AP reports.
The note said Francis was saddened to learn of the destruction and “expressed solidarity with all those suffering from this tragedy, especially those whose loved ones have died or are missing.”
He also offered prayers for emergency responders who are providing aid to the victims.
Updated
Maui mayor: responders yet to search interiors of burnt out buildings in Lahaina
Maui mayor Richard Bissen has confirmed that the 55 fatalities known so far from the wildfires only include people who were found outside. The death toll is expected to rise.
He told NBC: “We have not yet searched in the interior of the buildings. We’re waiting for Fema to help with that search, as they are equipped to handle the hazmat conditions of the buildings that have been burned.”
Updated
'The closest thing I can compare it to is a war zone,' says Maui county mayor
Maui county mayor Richard Bissen has spoken to ABC’s Eva Pilgrim in the last hour in an interview on Good Morning America. He told viewers “the closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone,” and said that authorities are bringing in dogs to increase the amount of area that can be searched.
Of the scenes in Lahaina, he said “It doesn’t resemble anything that it looked like when I was growing up.”
He told viewers there were “cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground. Most structures no longer exist and for blocks and blocks of this.”
Bissen said there had been “an outpouring of so much donations and offers of help,” and they would take advantage of federal support open to them. “There is so much support,” he added. “Right now, our focus is on fighting the fires, saving lives where we can or preventing further harm.”
Updated
The unprecedented wildfires that raged through Maui Island in Hawaii have also claimed a tree described as the “heartbeat” of the historic Lahaina beach town. Before and after images of the 150-year-old banyan tree show it sustained significant damage in the fire, which raced through dry vegetation in the hills and into the town of 13,000 people on Tuesday evening.
Lahaina resident Cole Millington has spoken to CNN in the US, telling them that he and his family began to flee before getting any official warning. He told viewers:
There wasn’t really an evacuation notice for us. It was more – we realised the town and our street looked like it was going to burn. Within 15 minutes of talking about that and seeing the smoke, we were running down into our cars, anything we can grab – go bags – mostly nothing. I got my passport and my dog and my truck, and we were peeling out of the driveway.
It pinged me as I was getting in my truck to leave. That warning was useless. We have tsunami warnings that I think should have been utilised. I think this could have been handled so much better in so many ways. So many of us residents felt like we had absolutely no warning.
There’s people screaming in the streets. There’s no one saying this is where you should go, this is what you should do. It happened so unbelievably quickly that it was really difficult, really scary. We need real support, this is a severe disaster.
The environmental impact of the disaster is likely to last for some time, AP reports. The wildfires struck Hawaii just as Jamison Gove, a Honolulu-based oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was publishing research in Nature on Hawaii coral reefs’ recovering from a 2015 marine heatwave.
His work highlighted the threat to coral from land-based contaminants running off into the ocean. Gove said Thursday that burning homes, commercial structures and cars and trucks would make any runoff worse by concentrating synthetic materials in the stream.
“It’s not a major leap to suggest when all that material is even more heavily concentrated in a small area, that the consequences would undoubtedly be more severe if and when it’s in the ocean,” Gove said. He noted that Lahaina’s coastal location meant “a minimal distance” for the materials to reach the ocean.
“Coral reefs provide coastal protection, they provide fisheries, they support cultural practices in Hawaii,” Gove said. “And the loss of reefs just has such detrimental consequences to the ecosystem.”
Hawaii firefighters association head Bobby Lee has told local media in Hawaii that 14 firefighters are known to have lost their homes in the blazes.
Honolulu’s KHON2 quoted him saying “Fourteen of our members have been confirmed, as far as losing their homes. Everybody’s okay physically, we don’t know emotionally how they are. I mean, they’re not just firefighters, they’re also part of the community.”
Fires in Hawaii worsened by a number of factors including the climate crisis
Here is an extract from our First Thing newsletter today:
The devastating fires in Hawaii, where at least 53 people have died after a conflagration that engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, were worsened by a number of factors including the climate crisis, scientists have said.
Rising global temperatures and drought helped turn parts of Hawaii into a tinderbox before one of the deadliest fires in modern US history, with conditions worsened by strong winds from a nearby cyclone.
Katharine Hayhoe, the chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, said that global heating was causing vegetation to dry out, priming it as fuel for an outbreak of fire. “Climate change doesn’t usually start the fires but it intensifies them, increasing the area they burn and making them much more dangerous,” Hayhoe tweeted.
Nearly a fifth of Maui, the Hawaiian island where the fires have occurred, is in severe drought, according to the US drought monitor. The island has experienced other serious fires in recent years, with blazes in 2018 and 2021 razing hundreds of homes and causing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.
AP reports that 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 wildfire ignitions and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.
The report also noted that West Maui had the island’s highest population of people living in multi-unit housing, the 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.
Maui’s firefighting efforts may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. He told AP 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.
Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but they are all designed for on-road use. The department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said.
CNN’s chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, has visited stricken Lahaina, and had this to say:
It looks like a bomb went off in Lahaina town. All the iconic buildings are either flattened or just scorched skeletons of their former self. Flames came so fast, entire structures went up in a matter of minutes. Anything in the town center here is just completely devastated. The fire was so hot, it burned everything all the way to the ground. [It’s] just lifeless, smoky, and sooty devastation where Lahaina town used to be.
Maui County officials have stated that commencing today, they will be issuing updated bulletins for residents via radio at 9am, noon and 3pm.
Making the announcement on Facebook, it said “Radio updates will supplement information posted on the county’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages.”
About 12,000 residents on the island are thought to currently be without power.
Here are some of the latest images sent to us from Maui over the news wires as authorities try to coordinate rescue efforts and look after the people who have lost their homes in the wildfires.
Residents say they were given insufficient warning to flee Lahaina
Questions have arisen about why residents weren’t given enough warning to flee Lahaina as the flames threatened to engulf it. AP notes that 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 threats.
However, reporters spoke to residents who said they got no notice. Thomas Leonard, a 70-year-old retired mailman from Lahaina, said he didn’t know about the fire until he smelled smoke. Power and cell phone services had both gone out earlier that day, leaving the town with no real-time information.
Leonard said he tried to leave in his Jeep, but had to abandon the vehicle and run to the shore 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 him and other survivors through the flames to safety.
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub told the Associated Press on Thursday that the department’s records don’t show that Maui’s warning sirens were triggered on Tuesday. Instead, the county used emergency alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, Weintraub said.
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Governor Josh Green said late on Thursday that the inferno that reduced much of Lahaina to smoldering ruins was the worst natural disaster in the state of Hawaii’s history, making thousands of people homeless and leveling as many as 1,000 buildings.
Reuters reports he told a news conference “It’s going to take many years to rebuild Lahaina. It will be a new Lahaina that Maui builds in its own image with its own values.”
The city had previously drawn two million tourists each year, about 80% of the island’s visitors. Green said the scope of the disaster would surpass that of 1960, one year after Hawaii became a US state, when a tsunami killed 61 people on the Island of Hawaii.
If you missed it, earlier we had this video interview with Vixay Phonxaylinkham. In it, he explains and his family were out for dinner and arrived in Lahaina at the same time as devastating wildfires. They were forced into the water and clung onto a sea wall in order to survive.
Our picture desk has put together this gallery which shows the extent of the damage in Lahaina. More than a thousand buildings have been burnt.
Local officials unclear on how many people remain missing on Maui
Local officials are still unclear on how many people are missing on Maui, and there is still work to be done in containing the fires.
Island police chief John Pelletier, cited by CNN, said on Thursday that communication challenges, with outages of cellular, internet and radio networks, were hampering efforts to determine how many people were missing. The US coast guard and a search and rescue team from California are being deployed.
Maui officials estimated that the fire which had devastated Lahaina was 80% contained but that two other fires were still burning on the island. High winds and dry conditions contributed to the rapid spread of the flames earlier in the week.
Search for survivors continues as Maui death toll rises to 55
Welcome to our continued coverage of the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, which are now known to have claimed 55 lives. Search and rescue operations continue, with local authorities saying that none of the major fires on the island were fully contained. Here is what we know so far:
Local county officials have put the death toll from the fires as at least 55.
The weather forecast is for falling wind speeds with the possibility of some showers.
An estimated 12,000 people are still without power, with authorities saying the outages could last for weeks due to the conditions.
The west side of the island, where the stricken city of Lahaina is, lacks power and water according to the mayor.
Questions are being asked about whether local officials acted fast enough to warn residents and tourists on the island of the danger they faced.
I’m Martin Belam in London, and I will be with you for the next couple of hours before handing over to my colleagues in the US. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
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