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18709
From: ao, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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No news online yet.. but from what I can tell the town of Lahaina is burning down.. downtown has been on fire since mid afternoon.. without any fire control measures being able to get to it.. reports of people having to jump into the ocean to escape.. And now out of control fire in Kihei, and in Upcountry Kula There's also out of control fires on the Big Island threatening both the Mauna Kea And Hapuna Prince hotels. The exacerbating factor.. a hurricane passed by the islands today, about 500 miles south of us, but there's a high to our north and the pressure gradient between the two has created high and extremely (for here) dry winds.. |
Responses:
[18716] [18711] [18715] [18712] [18710] [18713] [18714]
18716
From: pamela, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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Sorry to hear of this, terrible. I posted on this forum July 31st that most of the fires started in Greece were by arsonists, hope this is not the case with Maui. |
Responses:
None
18711
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/it-s-very-windy-and-dry-in-hawaii-strong-gusts-18286385.php
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Hawaii wildfires burn homes and force evacuations, while strong winds complicate the fight By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, Associated PressUpdated Aug 8, 2023 10:48 p.m. Smoke blows across the slope of Haleakala volcano on Maui, Hawaii, as a fire burns in Maui's upcountry region on Tuesday, Aug. 8. 2023. Several Hawaii communities were forced to evacuate from wildfires that destroyed at least two homes as of Tuesday as a dry season mixed with strong wind gusts made for dangerous fire conditions. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP) HONOLULU (AP) — Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities late Tuesday as firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by downed trees and power lines. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles (805 kilometers), was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph (97 kph) that knocked out power as night fell, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters. Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard. Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple blazes concentrated in two areas: the popular tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region. It wasn't immediately known how many buildings had burned, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone interview late Tuesday. Because of the wind gusts, helicopters weren't able to dump water on the fires from the sky — or gauge more precise fire sizes — and firefighters were encountering roads blocked by downed trees and power lines as they worked the inland fires, Martin said. “It’s definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it’s multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas,” Martin said. Winds were recorded at 80 mph (129 kph) in inland Maui and one fire that was believed to be contained earlier Tuesday flared up hours later with the big winds, she added. “The fire can be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house,” Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said. Hurricane Dora was complicating matters for firefighters in an already dry season. Hawaii is sandwiched between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system associated with Dora, said Jeff Powell, a meteorologist in Honolulu. The dryness and the gusts “make a dangerous fire situation so that fires that do exist can spread out of control very rapidly,” he said. “It’s kind of because of Hurricane Dora, but it’s not a direct result,” he said, calling the fires a “peripheral result” of the hurricane's winds. In the Kula area of Maui, at least two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1,100 acres (1.7 square miles, or 4.5 square kilometers), Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said. “We're trying to protect homes in the community,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of evacuating about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. As of Tuesday, the roof of one house caught on fire, he said. Fires in Hawaii are unlike many of those burning in the U.S. West. They tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than mainland fires. Fires were rare in Hawaii and on other tropical islands before humans arrived, and native ecosystems evolved without them. This means great environmental damage can occur when fires erupt. For example, fires remove vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rainfall, the rain can carry loose soil into the ocean, where it can smother coral reefs. A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, also was dealing with power outages, downed power lines and traffic problems, said Adam Weintraub, communication director for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. The weather service had in effect a high wind warning and red flag warnings for dangerous fire weather, Powell said. These conditions were expected through Tuesday, decreasing throughout the day Wednesday and into Thursday. ___ Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report. |
18715
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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Read about it this morning...looks horrible. My heart goes out to the people and prayers for all involved. |
Responses:
None
18712
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/hawaii-wildfires-burn-homes-and-force-18286848.php
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People in Hawaii flee into ocean to escape wildfires that are burning a popular Maui tourist town By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, Associated PressUpdated Aug 9, 2023 8:53 a.m. HONOLULU (AP) — Wind-whipped wildfires raced through parts of Hawaii on Wednesday, burning structures in historic Lahaina Town on the island of Maui, forcing evacuations and leading some to flee to the relative safety of the ocean, where they were rescued by the Coast Guard. “Do NOT go to Lahaina Town,” the County of Maui tweeted, hours before all roads in and out of West Maui's biggest community were closed to everyone except emergency personnel. Fire was widespread in Lahaina, including on Front Street, an area of the town of roughly 13,000 that is popular with tourists, county spokesperson Mahina Martin said by phone early Wednesday. Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate, and officials asked people who weren’t in an evacuation area to shelter in place to avoid adding to the traffic, she said. Photos posted by the county overnight showed a line of flames blazing across an intersection in Lahaina and flames leaping above buildings in the town, whose historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles (805 kilometers), was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph (97 kph) that knocked out power, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters. Dangerous fire conditions created by strong winds and low humidity were expected to last through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said. The Coast Guard on Tuesday responded to areas where people had fled into the ocean to escape the fire and smoky conditions, the county said in a statement. The Coast Guard tweeted that a crew rescued 12 people from the water off Lahaina. Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard to assist. Officials were not aware of any deaths and knew of only one injury, a firefighter who was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke, Martin said. There’s no count available for the number of structures that have burned or the number of people who have evacuated, but Martin said there were four shelters open and that more than 1,000 people were at the largest. |
Responses:
None
18710
From: etc., [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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I’ve lost contact with my dearest friend in Makawao (mid island) late last night. The winds were fierce and they lost power. Smoke in the air itself is dangerous for her and others in their senior complex. Such a dangerous situation :( |
18713
From: ao, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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There are fires mauka (uphill) of Makawao, in Kula, and the winds will keep the fire from getting down to Makawao. I have family that live in both, granddaughter evacuated to daughter’s place. Ground phone system overwhelmed, local news says the 911 system broke, fire victims being evacuated to Oahu. Lahaina town is a one road in and out and they are closed. Cell service and access to the net is down so it’s slow getting info from the scene.. local tv struggling to get pics and first hand reports. But what they’ve got shows Lahaina devastated. Even the boats in the harbor. That’s an old wooden structure town. The center of commerce, the tourist attraction, for the whole side of the island. Even the evacuation centers have had to be evacuated. Evacuation orders lifted for Kihei and most places on the Big Island. |
Responses:
[18714]
18714
From: etc., [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Happening now.. 3 out of control fires on Maui
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Thank you for the info ao. These are devastating fires :( Lack of communication is very distressing. |
Responses:
None
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