Horrific wildfires destroy parts of Hawaii's island of Maui, 6 dead
A terrible wildfire destroys parts of the island of Maui, Hawaii, killing 6 people and many injured. The fires, fueled by winds from the storm in the Pacific Ocean, also left thousands without power or cellphone service.
Several blazes are also raging on the Big Island, also known as the island of Hawaii, an island neighboring Maui.
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| Fires are devastating Maui (Photo: DUSTIN JOHNSON/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) |
Officials said search and rescue efforts were still ongoing. But they warned that the death toll may rise.
Emergency Order, Banning People from Coming to Maui
Authorities have evacuated neighborhoods, closed roads, and opened shelters to house thousands of evacuees.
An emergency order has been signed banning people from coming to Maui, which is a popular tourist destination.
"We have shelters, we have taxed resources, we do whatever we can for the locals," Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said during a press conference on Wednesday morning local time as quoted by the BBC, Thursday (08/10/2023).
"A full assessment of the damage could take months," Luke said.
Dia juga mengatakan bahwa ada kekhawatiran tentang potensi kerusuhan setelahnya.
Pada Selasa malam, Luke telah mengeluarkan deklarasi darurat dan mengaktifkan Garda Nasional negara bagian. Di Maui, sekitar 4.000 pengunjung berusaha meninggalkan pulau itu, kata pejabat transportasi negara bagian Ed Sniffen.
Also, read: Forest Fire on the Greek Island of Rhodes, 3 People Die.
Ribuan orang di sana juga tanpa layanan seluler, karena sekitar 29 tiang listrik ambruk. Skala penuh kerusakan rumah dan usaha belum jelas, kata para pejabat.
Mayor Jenderal Kenneth S Hara, yang bertanggung jawab atas tanggap darurat, mengatakan prioritas saat ini adalah menyelamatkan nyawa, mencegah penderitaan manusia, dan mengurangi kerugian harta benda yang besar.
According to PowerOutage.Us, more than 12,000 people in the state of Hawaii are currently without power. Most of the destruction occurred in the island city of Lahaina, Maui.
Parts of the city were destroyed or badly damaged by the blaze. A resident told the media that every ship in the city's port was on fire.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it had rescued 12 people after reports of residents fleeing into the water to escape the fires. Maui County Mayor Richard Missen confirmed six fatalities but said he could not provide further details yet.
There were also at least 20 people injured, including a firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation. Three patients are in critical condition. He warned the death toll could rise as emergency responders carry out search and rescue operations as well as evacuations.
The Lahaina Fire is one of at least seven fires burning in Hawaii. About 13,000 people live in the city located in the western part of the island of Maui.
Resident Dustin Kaleiopu told Hawaii News Now that his home was among those destroyed in the fire.
"Everything we ever knew was gone. Our church, our school, every memory we have in this household," he said. "Everything is gone in the blink of an eye," he added.
"There is no Lahaina," resident Kekai Keahi told the Associated Press news agency. "Lahaina is no longer there."
The fire was one of several burning in Hawaii fueled by high winds by Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, low humidity, and dry air, according to the National Weather Service office in Honolulu.
Local officials said that winds had complicated efforts to use helicopters in firefighting operations.
The White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) and U.S. Marines are assisting in firefighting and search and rescue operations. Fema is also working to provide emergency supplies, including water, food, cots, and blankets.
Fires in Hawaii are typically smaller than those that ravage California and other parts of the western continental U.S.
Experts have warned, however, that fires are often more destructive, as Hawaii's ecosystem evolved without fire before the arrival of humans.