Journalism in the service of society

HAWAII: Fast-moving wildfire kills at least 36

THE death toll from a fast-moving wildfire that turned a historic Hawaiian town to ashes has risen to 36 people, officials said Wednesday, after desperate residents jumped into the ocean to escape the fast-moving flames.

The fires began burning early Tuesday, putting homes, businesses and utilities at risk, as well as more than 35,000 people on the island of Maui, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

The fires have burned more than 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of land, it said.

“As the firefighting efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the active Lahaina fire,” the Maui county government said in a statement.

“High, gusty winds and dry conditions put much of Hawai’i under a Red Flag Warning that ended late Wednesday, and more fires were burning on the Big Island and Maui,” according to the state emergency agency.

US Coast Guard officers pulled at least a dozen people from the water as emergency services were overwhelmed by a disaster that appeared to have erupted almost without warning.

More than 270 buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the seriously affected town of Lahaina, officials said earlier on Wednesday.

“Much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced,” said Governor Josh Green of the 12,000-resident historic town, which is popular with tourists.

Video posted on social media showed blazes tearing through the heart of the beachfront town and sending up huge plumes of black smoke.

“People are jumping into the water to avoid the fire,” US Army Major General Kenneth Hara, the state adjutant general, told Hawaii News Now.

1 Comment
  1. Avatar of Mickykarim
    Mickykarim says

    GOOD THAT THE CLIMATE MERCHANTS HAVE NOT ATTRIBUTED THE SAD INCIDENT TO THEIR FALSEHOOD.

    Definitely not CLIMATE CHANGE because of the too many lies falsehood and summersaulting nomenclatures in its trail. People are waking up to the numerous evil machinations woven around the Climate ruse.

    A RECENT SCIENTIFIC REPORT INDICATED AFFORESTATION HAD NO IMPACT ON THE HOAX CALLED CLIMATE CHANGE. THE CLIMAT HAD FOREVER CHANGED.

    The climate merchants should be cut to size as most of the conjectures about the climate change fraud are being debunked in troves and Nigeria should not buy into it, BLINDLY.

    THIS IS GOOD NEWS. THE GOOD SIDE OF CLIMATE HOAX.

    At a time when the cows suddenly just became inimical to the existence of man because some evil commerce entrepreneurs want to make money from alternative sources of energy.

    The ecosystem was designed for a balance and served humanity before now with some strange thoughts creeping into existence and abusing our senses.

    THE COW HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRST CASUALTY IN THE HANDS CALOUS BUSINESS Shylocks. https://mickykarim.wordpress.com/2023/06/12/sins-of-the-cow/

    At least the female turtles just got off the hook of unwholesome climate change mess. Since it made them better mothers. This is interestingly incredible.

    We may not know who and what is next.

    This is hearth warming with soul lighting for the livelihood and existence of humanity.

Comments are closed.

Naija Times