Death toll over 80 in devastating Hawaii wildfires as 'near-riot' breaks out
Thousands of people have had their homes destroyed after huge wildfires fuelled by hurricane winds swept across Maui, Hawaii, leading to an angry "near-riot" as cops opened and re-closed the only road into the destroyed town of Lahaina.
Emotions are running high as thousands are missing, at least 80 people are dead and billions in cleanup costs face the proud island. Police reopened the road at noon yesterday but said around 100 people began near-rioting once they were told they could not go to certain areas of the town.
One officer said people became "emotional" when they were told to leave the area by police.
"The road to Lahaina was opened for local residents to provide medication and supplies to their families that remain in homes on the west side and in need of such assistance outside of the fire/biohazard zone," authorities said in a statement. "Many people are parking on the Lahaina Bypass and walking into the areas Makai of the bypass, which is locked down due to hazardous conditions and biohazards."
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Holiday family return to find everything they own - even cat - destroyed in fire
Thousands of people have had their homes destroyed (AP)Maui Mayor Richard Bissen declared people could be arrested if unauthorised people go into the area. The statement continued: "Unauthorised entry to these areas increases danger to themselves and delays our operations, as MPD and National Guard personnel must stop their searching efforts and escort individuals out."
"If people continue to disobey the orders, entry to Lahaina will be closed again and open to emergency personnel only."
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier asked for patience, prayers and perseverance. “We have to respect that we have loved ones in that earth," he said, “and we have to get them out.”
As the death toll from the fires on the island rises, it's unclear how morgues will be able to accommodate the number of victims considering there is just one hospital and three mortuaries.
Cadaver dogs are sniffing through smoldering piles of rubble in search of more dead bodies.
To aid in the frantic efforts, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr announced that dogs trained to find bodies were brought in to scour the destruction.
Maui devastated
At least 80 people have been killed and the death count is likely to rise as cadaver dogs sniff through the ash remnants of once thriving buildings, the former the heart of a cultured and vibrant community. Around 80 per cent of affected structures in Maui are residential buildings.
Mayor Bissen walks past the remains of the Sugar Cane Train depot in Lahaina (AP)Thousands have been evacuated already with 14,999 taken by air on Thursday alone. Airlines added additional flights to accommodate visitors leaving the island.
"Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down," Governor Josh Green said after walking the ruins of the town Thursday morning with Mayor Bissen. "Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina."
While survivors contemplate their dramatic escape into the ocean as their homes burnt, officials have warned "highly toxic" burning areas could lead to dust and other airborne particles being unleashed and lingering in the air.
Diners flee restaurant fire after 'sparkler in drink ignited wall decorations'
The rebuilding could cost billions, according to figures released by the Pacific Disaster Center and Federal Emergency Management Agency today. Burnt houses, downed telephone poles that blocked people's escape by roads and other obliterated infrastructure could see the bill rise to $5.52 billion, the agency said.
People on the island with running water have been warned not to drink it due to possible damage to pipes (AP)People in Kula have been warned by the Maui County water agency not to drink running water if they have it. Possible exposure to chemical vapours means they should only take only short, lukewarm showers “in a well-ventilated room”
“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Governor Green Green told Hawaii News Now. Rescue operations continue as authorities set a curfew from 10pm until 6am Saturday.
Around 14,000 people are reported to have been displaced by the fires. Among them is Summer and Gilles Gerling who are now faced with a detritus-filled lot where their home once stood in Lahaina.
Charred cars left in ashes litter roads (AP)They were able to recover a piggy bank Summer's father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding, but their wedding rings were gone. “Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” a brave Gilles said.
Some of the fires were still not fully contained in parts of the island and Kaanapali in West Maui was evacuated on Friday night. Crews were able to put the fire out before 8.30pm.
Lahaina resident Lana Vierra had fled Tuesday but was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items including baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.
“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace," she said.
Death toll
A material cleanup will continue for as long as is necessary, but what may scar the ash-ridden communities of Maui that were affected is the sheer emotional toll. The death toll is now at 80, but it will almost certainly rise and many people are still unaccounted for.
More evacuations were needed yesterday (AP)The rapid fire caused blocked roads from 29 downed power poles with live wires still attached. this added to the chaos of the escape by cutting off two important roads out of Lahaina to Wailuku and the airport. Only the narrow highway toward Kahakuloa was left open, contributing to traffic jams as people attempted to flee.
Cars began exploding as flames approached some areas, forcing others to flee on foot to the only sanctuary they could find. The pacific ocean was the only place some could find to escape the hellish "shooting debris" and some survivors said they were in the water for around four hours.
Bodies have since been pulled from the water, but one incident saw a Coast Guard swimmer plunge into the ocean to rescue two children and three adults who had fled the flames.
The Coast Guard rescued 17 people from the water, but more were saved by other agencies,
People fled to the ocean as the fire grew (AFP via Getty Images)Damage to cell phone towers and has made contacting loved ones difficult as people escaped. A spreadsheet containing over 4,500 thousand names has been useful for locating people, but just shy of 1,500 people are still listed as 'not located.'
After the shock of the fire, Maui local Anthony Garcia went to Lahaina’s iconic banyan tree, now charred. Garcia was seen sweeping twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames.
“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”
Historic Lahaina banyan tree damaged by a wildfire (AP)Warnings didn't work
The wildfire risk on Maui and the resulting danger to Lahaina was well known. Lahaina was highlighted as an at-risk dwelling in Maui County's hazard mitigation plan in 2020. But dry summer and strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing south of the island fueled the fire and the rapidity with which it spread and still took residents - who need the warning system to be effective to ensure their safety - by surprise.
Strong winds and a dry summer created the perfect firestorm (AP)The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted the development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.
Survivors are complaining they did not hear the sirens - 400 sirens were positioned across the island chain - and only discovered the peril they were in once flames were upon them. “There was no warning," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.
Spokesperson Adam Weintraub from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said alerts were sent to phones, televisions and radio stations. It is not clear if these alerts were sent before widespread power cuts and mobile phone cell towers were taken out by the fires.
Mr Weintraub said the department's records don't show that Maui's warning sirens were triggered on Tuesday, the day the blaze erupted.
People gather at the Kahului Airport while waiting for flights (AP)Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies affecting the response to the deadly wildfires.
“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a written statement.
Also in the report was an acknowledgement West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers. This may have limited both people's understanding of the danger they were in and their means of escape.
Maui’s firefighting efforts, meanwhile, may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment. Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.
Dead animals, including cats and birds, that were found under the iconic banyan tree on Front Street in Lahaina (AP)Some doubt more could have been done, such was the rapid advancement of the fire. “I think this was an impossible situation,” Mayor Bissen told NBC’s Today show. “The fires came up so quickly and they spread so fast.”
Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street, Lahaina residence after the climbed on a nearby building for a better vantage point. “It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything," Curran said. “The fire went from zero to 100.”
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