Hurricane Dora passed south of Hawaii by more than 500 miles, but due to the location of large-scale weather feature north of the islands, gusty winds of greater than 70 mph were reported across the state.
At least 6 dead as wildfires sweep through Hawaiian Islands
Local authorities said several communities were destroyed and at least half a dozens people were killed as wind-driven wildfires pushed across the islands.
MAUI, Hawaii – At least six people are dead and search efforts are still underway on the Hawaiian islands as the influence of Hurricane Dora to the south of the islands and a strong ridge of high pressure to the north fuel dangerous wildfires.
Fire crews battled brush fires on Maui and the Big Island on Tuesday as wind gusts of more than 70 mph helped spread the flames. One of the larger fires burning on the northern part of the Big Island charred more than 1,800 acres.
“This is an unprecedented disaster as an indirect result of Hurricane Dora passing just south of our islands,” said Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. “It is truly devastating, and my heart goes out to the residents of Maui and all those impacted.”
As the wildfires continue, visitors with current and planned lodging at West Maui hotels may need other accommodations, Luke said Wednesday as she issued an emergency proclamation to extend the state of emergency to all counties, discourage non-essential air travel to Maui, and order all affected state agencies to assist with the evacuation.
“This proclamation is to discourage travel to the affected areas, so we can prioritize our scarce resources for Maui residents who desperately need assistance,” Luke said.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation said 1,800 people sheltered in place overnight at the Kahului Airport from canceled flights and flight arrivals, with many west-side highways closed. HDOT worked with airlines and the Transportation Security Administration to shelter passengers as wildfires continued to burn in Lahaina and the upcountry.
This not a safe place to be on certain parts of Maui. We have shelters that are overrun. We have resources that are being taxed,” Maui officials said.
Close to 100 firefighters have been on duty including 11 from state airport rescue personnel, Maui County officials said, as battled the flames Wednesday morning amid a 911 outage in West Maui.
Videos filmed overnight Tuesday into Wednesday and shared by Clint Hansen of Maui Real Estate Radio show the fires quickly spreading in near Kihei, in West Maui.
Much of Lahaina was destroyed, with locals telling of “apocalyptic” scenes as dozens of homes and businesses were scorched, local media report.
The dramatic scene greeted Jayson Duque as he was evacuating his home in Lahaina as more than 1,000 acres were burned in the town. His footage showed a huge plume of smoke as flames engulfed multiple houses. At least 80 people were evacuated there, and more evacuations were likely, the mayor said.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE: FIRES RAGE ACROSS HAWAII AS HURRICANE DORA AIDES IN SPREAD OF FLAMES
Multiple houses engulfed by flames as driver flees Maui wildfire
A dramatic scene greeted Jayson Duque on August 8 as he was evacuating his home in Lahaina as several wildfires spread in west Maui. His footage shows a huge plume of smoke as flames engulf multiple houses.
There are no details on the extent of the damages, Maui city officials said. While no deaths have been reported, a firefighter responding to a fire in West Maui was overcome by smoke inhalation and hospitalized. He is expected to survive.
Multiple structures were burned and a number of evacuation orders were in place on the Hawaiian island of Maui as fire crews battled brush fires fanned by strong winds on Tuesday, August 8, authorities said.
The National Guard arrived in Maui County by orders of the Hawaii Department of Defense following Maui Mayor Richard Bissen’s issuance of an emergency proclamation.
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard responded to impacted areas where residents entered the ocean due to smoke and fire conditions. Some crews were deployed to Front Street Beach and Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, where they rescued 12 people from the waters. City officials said those individuals were transported to safe areas.
Maui firefighters battle multiple blazes on Front Street in Lahaina
Firefighters in Maui were busy battling wildfires and structure fires in Lahaina along the main tourist drag of Front Street. Alan Dickar said he captured video in the afternoon full sun, but the thick smoke blocked out the clear, blue sky.
While the cause of many of the brush fires remains under investigation, the combination of downed power lines and dry brush was being examined as a possible cause of some of the fires. At last check, nearly 15,000 customers were without power Wednesday throughout the state.
The American Red Cross opened an evacuation center at Maui High School. They are also staffing emergency shelters in Kihei, Lahaina and Pukalani.
Officials said schools on Maui will remain closed due to unsafe campus conditions and damage caused by the heavy winds.
Hononoapiʻilani Highway remains open for outbound traffic only. Motorists should expect heavy traffic. All Maui Bus Commuter Services have been temporarily suspended.
Windy conditions are expected to relax as the gradient between the ridge of high pressure, and Dora lessens over the next few days, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Source: Fox News
