11 August 2023 , 08:43
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Oprah Winfrey, a part-time Maui resident, has visited the Hawaiian island to support those affected by the catastrophic wildfires.
At least 55 people have been killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, with thousands of people still missing. The fires have caused widespread destruction, with satellite images showing six fires continuing to burn on Maui and the Big Island.
Oprah, 69, has now visited evacuees at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Maui to show her support. Thousands of people have come together at the gym, which is also being used as a donation drop-off location, following the fires. The TV personality was seen chatting to volunteers and locals. Local group Kakoo-Haleakala revealing on Instagram that she donated much-needed supplies.
Oprah Winfrey was seen at the shelter (Talk Story Nui)Oprah has been living on Maui part-time for more than 15 years. She is one of the island's biggest private landholders, owning more than 2,000 acres of land in Kula and Hana. It's currently unclear if any of her land has been damaged by the wildfires.
Oprah donated items such as shampoo, diapers and pillows. She said it felt "a little overwhelming" to be in Maui following the devastation. "It's a little overwhelming, but I am really so pleased to have so many people, you know, supporting and people are just bringing what they can and doing what they can. So I came earlier just to see what people needed and then went shopping," she revealed.
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She gave donations to support the evacuees (hawaiinewsnow/Instagram)Speaking to the BBC, Oprah added: "Often, you make donations of clothes or whatever and it's not really what people need. So, I actually went to Walmart and Costco and got pillows, diapers, shampoos, sheets, pillow cases."
Officials say fires in the culturally significant area of Lahaina, which has been largely burnt, are now around 80 percent contained. However, none of the fires that broke out on Tuesday have been put out. Strong winds from Hurricane Dora were partly to blame for the quick spread of flames. They also knocked out power and grounded helicopters.