Hawaii fires deadliest natural disaster in state history
12-08-2023, 09:19

Font size: [ A+ ] / [ A- ]

The Hawaii wildfires have reached a grim milestone as the death toll rose to 67, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the state's history.

Hundreds more have been reported missing and the toll may still rise.

It comes as some Lahaina residents are being allowed to briefly return home on Friday to take stock of the damage to their fire-ravaged town.

They returned amid warnings they would be greeted by "destruction like they've not ever seen in their lives".

State officials reopened Lahaina to people with proof of residency on Friday for the first time since flames swept rapidly through early this week, razing much of the historic town.

People who had been evacuated with only the clothes on their backs told the BBC they were concerned it may be hard to prove their residency.

A curfew will operate daily from 22:00 to 06:00 local time, and some of the hardest hit parts of the town remain restricted to search and rescue personnel.

West Maui, where Lahaina is located, is still without power and water. Search crews are still in the area looking for wildfire victims.

That includes in the water. The Coast Guard said it had pulled 17 people alive from the water near the town's harbour so far. All were reported to be in a stable condition.

But Gabe Lucy, who owns a tour operator on Maui, told the BBC that he was hearing of horrific scenes.

"People were jumping in the water and I think for a lot of them the fire wrapped around so quick that the only way to escape was go down to the water's edge," said Mr Lucy, whose captains were called in to help rescue people.

He added that they were "picking up four-year-olds and putting them surfboards and pulling them out" and that he had heard reports of "bodies on the rocks".

On the Honoapiilani Highway - one of the only available routes into Lahaina - cars sat bumper-to-bumper, with families looking tired and worried alongside trucks carrying water and fuel.

One family told the BBC they had stayed in Lahaina through the worst of the fire, only leaving on Thursday to buy much-needed supplies.

Their house was still standing, but they have been "sitting in the dark".

The family told the BBC they believed the number of confirmed dead, though already high, would rise further. "On our street alone it's 50 people," one family member said.

Governor Josh Green warned Hawaiians on Friday what they found in Lahaina would be difficult.

"Lahaina is a devastated zone. They will see destruction like they've not ever seen in their lives," said the governor, who visited the town on Thursday. "Be very safe, be very careful."

He said it will take many years to repair the damage caused by wildfires on the island of Maui. More than 1,000 buildings had been destroyed in Lahaina, a coastal town with a rich history that attracts some two million tourists a year.

On Friday, Maui County officials also confirmed 12 additional deaths in Lahaina.

That makes it Hawaii's deadliest natural disaster, eclipsing the toll of a tsunami in 1960 that killed 61 people.

Hawaii's Attorney General has announced a "comprehensive review" into how the authorities responded to the wildfires.

That is as questions mount over whether officials warned residents fast enough.

Despite some residents being allowed to return to Lahaina on Friday, many of the evacuees at the War Memorial Stadium shelter, about 20 miles (32km) from the historic town, say they are not in a rush to go back.

Most of them witnessed their homes beginning to catch fire as they barely escaped and are certain that nothing remains to return to.

Many told the BBC they were just grateful to be alive.

Rebuilding is expected to require billions of dollars. Thousands of people have been left homeless.

There are six shelters in operation on Maui for those displaced, and officials said they were drafting a plan to house them in hotels and tourist rental properties.

In recent days, donations have been rolling in to relief and aid organisations on Maui.

The island is home to many wealthy people, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. He and his partner Lauren Sanchez have pledged $100m (£79m) to help the fire victims.

Wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island and Big Island began on Tuesday night. The cause is still not known but once lit, hurricane winds and dry weather helped fuel the flames.

 

BBC

Comments: 3125
#2685   Sue
      
References:


Anavar before and after men

References:
bookmarking.win
21 January 2026 21:03
#2684   Janie
      
References:


Anavar only cycle before and after

References:
gaiaathome.eu
21 January 2026 20:56
#2683   Jerry
      
21 January 2026 19:10
#2682   Carlo
      
Look into my web site - High stakes
21 January 2026 17:24
#2681   Irene
      
Feel free to surf to my page; top 10 poker sites (http://forum.artefakt.cz/)
21 January 2026 10:20
#2680   Carrol
      
should i take steroids

References:
gpsites.win
21 January 2026 02:50
#2679   Susie
      
21 January 2026 02:03
#2678   Shawnee
      
consequences of anabolic steroids

References:
https://moparwiki.win
20 January 2026 22:58
#2677   Marla
      
References:


Female anavar cycle before and after pictures

References:
timeoftheworld.date
20 January 2026 21:11
#2676   Derick
      
natural weight lifting vs supplemental weight
lifting

References:
timeoftheworld.date
20 January 2026 17:49
#2675   Ken
      
what are the negative effects of steroids

References:
https://ondashboard.win/
19 January 2026 15:08
#2674   Wilhemina
      
steroids powder

References:
https://bookmark4you.win/
18 January 2026 21:56
#2673   Everett
      
best muscle stack on the market

References:
https://mozillabd.science/
18 January 2026 20:54
#2672   Collin
      
how to use steroids correctly

References:
www.instructables.com
18 January 2026 18:42
#2671   Lenard
      
gnc supplements for muscle growth

References:
undrtone.com
18 January 2026 09:07
#2670   Marcella
      
Feel free to visit my web page; Stakes Casino
18 January 2026 08:39
#2669   Umar farooq
      
Agen slot online terpercaya dengan pilihan game terlengkap, proses cepat, dan layanan 24 jam untuk pengalaman bermain aman dan menguntungkan. Agen Slot Online Short
17 January 2026 21:13
#2668   Solomon
      
17 January 2026 06:02
#2667   Ilene
      
References:


Virtual roulette

References:
imoodle.win
16 January 2026 21:32
#2666   Adriene
      
Look into my page Free poker
15 January 2026 05:56
Add Comments

Name:*
E-Mail:
  Geo Keyboard  
 

Dear reader, guardian.ge welcomes your comments. Please express your views on topic and be respectful of others.

bold italic underline strike | align left centered align right | Ensert smilies insert linkInsert protected URL Choice the color | hidden text insert quote Convert selected text from transliteration to Cyrillic alphabet Insert spoiler

Code: *


Back1 ... 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ... 157Next