Disasters At least six dead
Forest fires in Hawaii – people flee into the sea
As of: 5:19 a.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
The coastal city of Lahaina has been particularly hard hit by the wildfires
Quelle: AP/Matthew Thayer
Wildfires have spiraled out of control on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The center of the small town of Lahaina, popular with tourists, is on fire, the district mayor speaks of six fatalities. Around 2,000 travelers were stranded at the airport.
Wildfires have killed at least six people on the Hawaiian island of Maui and destroyed parts of the historic small town of Lahaina, which is popular with tourists. The Front Street promenade with numerous shops and restaurants was also affected, as a spokeswoman for the district of Maui on the island of the same name said on Wednesday. People took refuge in the sea from fire and smoke. The US Coast Guard tweeted that 12 people had been rescued from the water off Lahaina.
District Mayor Richard Bissen confirmed six fatalities. He did not say in which part of the island they perished. At least 20 people suffered burns, and many buildings burned down “to the ground”. The full extent of the damage is not yet foreseeable.
Satellite photos from the space agency Nasa appeared to show flames in large parts of the center of the former whaling town. Photos of burnt down buildings could also be seen on social media. Governor Josh Green broke off a private trip and wanted to arrive back in Hawaii on Wednesday. He spoke of a “terrible catastrophe”. Travel to Maui has been discouraged. “This is not a safe place,” Deputy Governor Sylvia Luke warned. They wanted to keep tourists away with an emergency declaration.
This satellite image from Wednesday shows smoke over the Lahaina area
Which: via REUTERS
Parts of Lahaina were already on fire on Tuesday
Which: via REUTERS
On Platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the county government warned against driving toward Lahaina. Many streets in the city are closed. Numerous people tried to get out of the city to safety, only one road was still available for this.
Eyewitnesses described apocalyptic scenes in the town on the west of the island. Four emergency shelters were opened for evacuees, and according to Mayor Bissen, more than 2,100 people spent the night there. An estimated 2,000 travelers were stranded at Maui Airport on Wednesday morning, and flights were canceled. Thousands of homes and businesses were without power.
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Helicopter pilot Richard Olsten flew over the town on Wednesday. Most of the historic core burned down. It looked like a war zone, “as if the area was being bombed,” he described his impressions on CNN. Heavy gusts of wind did not initially allow the flames to be fought from the air on Tuesday. On Wednesday there were still fires in three places on Maui. Fires also raged on the neighboring island of Hawaii to the east, the largest island in the state of the same name.
The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed a safe distance about 500 miles south of the Hawaiian island chain, was partly responsible for winds gusting more than 75 miles per hour that fueled the fire and power outages. Firefighting helicopters had to stay on the ground because of the strong wind.
The authorities had issued a “red flag” warning for the Hawaiian island chain because of the high risk of fire, favored by drought, high temperatures and strong winds. Such conditions are otherwise known from US states such as California or Oregon, where devastating wildfires occur more frequently.
Fire near Lahaina: Authorities warn against driving in the direction of the city
Which: via REUTERS
US President Joe Biden has pledged government aid to the state of Hawaii. The National Guard and Navy stand by the response teams. The Department of Transportation will help fly vacationers out of Maui, a statement said. They should be taken to the island of Oahu, west of Maui, the broadcaster Hawaii News Now reported. There, a convention center will be transformed into an emergency shelter.
Several airlines canceled flights to Maui at short notice on Wednesday. However, there are still flights from Maui so that vacationers can start their return journey, CNN reported. Several people with burn injuries have already flown to a special clinic in Honolulu, Oahu, a spokeswoman for the emergency services agency said. It was not immediately known what caused the fire.
2023-08-10 03:19:43
#Hawaii #dead #forest #fires
