Ishika Roy, Pune
Massive wildfires in Maui have killed 55 people and forced thousands to evacuate, wiping out the historic town of Lahaina in Hawaii. The death toll is expected to climb even higher as the atmospheric conditions on the island continue to become a choking hazard, popularly nicknamed ‘fire weather’. While the US Coast Guard managed to rescue 17 people who jumped into the harbour in a last attempt to escape, buildings lining the streets of a popular tourist destination, Front Street, went up in scorching flames.
The fire department’s delayed response to the situation on the ground is a result of being ‘overwhelmed’, according to business owners who own shops on the street. Close to 1700 properties have been destroyed in the fires, amounting to a loss of billions of dollars. Hawaii Governor John Green calls this the deadliest disaster in the history of the Aloha State. Without electricity, internet, and connectivity, it is difficult for the State to get in touch with over a thousand people unaccounted for in the ruckus. While they are not presumed dead already, the authorities are working towards establishing a connection with them soon to take them to safety.
Major General Kenneth Hara, commander general of the Hawaii Army National Guard, has commented on the cause of the Maui blaze, stating that the exact reason for the disaster remains unknown. The National Weather Service had communicated previously, warning of a red flag situation in the County owing to extremely dry weather conditions, low humidity, and high winds. An abundance of fuel and trees made the situation susceptible to a tremendous blaze of this size.
Richard Bissen, Maui’s mayor, stated that the town of Lahaina has been completely wiped out. “It’s all gone. None of it’s there. It’s all burned to the ground,” he told the Independent. The primary focus of the County is to find all missing people. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has urged all non-essential travellers to cancel their bookings and leave the State as soon as possible so that hotels and resorts can be used to provide protection and shelter to the evacuated.