Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report.Big Island police renew request for help with locating endangered Kona woman New parking rates take effect Feb.

Sinco Kelleher reported from Honolulu and Weber from Los Angeles. This story was edited to correct that Bissen is the mayor of the County of Maui, not Lahaina. Everyone’s lives have tragically changed in the last 12 hours.” _ Lahaina is often thought of as just a Maui tourist town, Lawrence said, but “we have a very strong Hawaiian community.” “Every significant thing I owned burned down today,” he said. Before evacuating with three friends and two cats, Dickar recorded video of flames engulfing the main strip of shops and restaurants frequented by tourists. “We had years and years of research material, artifacts,” he said.Īlan Dickar said he’s not sure what remains of his Vintage European Posters gallery, which was a fixture on Front Street in Lahaina for 23 years. Kapu, the owner of the Na Aikane o Maui cultural center in Lahaina, said he and his wife didn’t have time to pack up anything before being forced to flee. “Michelle and I are thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one, or whose life has been turned upside down,” he said. “They’ve lost their house, they’ve lost their animals.”įormer President Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii, said on social media Wednesday evening that it’s tough to see some of the images coming out of a place that is so special to many. “Local people have lost everything,” said James Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Officials were preparing the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to take in up to 4,000 displaced tourists and locals. Kahului Airport, the main airport in Maui, was sheltering 2,000 travelers whose flights were canceled or who recently arrived on the island, the county said. There was no count available for the number of people who have evacuated, but officials said there were four shelters open housing 2,100 people. The president said the Coast Guard and Navy are supporting response and rescue efforts, while the Marines are providing Black Hawk helicopters to fight the fires. President Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening that he has ordered “all available Federal assets” to help Hawaii. 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. Members of a Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources wildland firefighting crew on Maui battle a fire in Kula, Hawaii, on Tuesday, Aug. “We have resources that are being taxed.” “Certain parts of Maui, we have shelters that are overrun,” Luke said. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard to assist. Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. At least 20 patients were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, he said.Īuthorities said earlier Wednesday that a firefighter in Maui was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke. The others were taken to other Honolulu hospitals. Three of them had critical burns and were taken to Straub Medical Center’s burn unit, he said. Six patients were flown from Maui to the island of Oahu on Tuesday night, said Speedy Bailey, regional director for Hawaii Life Flight, an air-ambulance company. The Coast Guard on Tuesday rescued 14 people, including two children, who had fled into the ocean to escape the fire and smoky conditions, the county said in a statement.įires killed six people on Maui, but search and rescue operations continued and the number could rise, Bissen said. 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 on Maui. Firefighters did extinguish a few roof fires. There have been no reports of injuries or homes lost to three wildfires burning on Hawaii’s Big Island, Mayor Mitch Roth said Wednesday.

Hawaii news now breaking news today