At least 53 dead, hundreds of homes burned and thousands homeless: Maui is witnessing the extent of the bush and forest fires, especially in the city of Lahaina. Many now want to leave the island.
Helicopter pilots can’t believe what they see in daylight. Only gradually does it become clear what the extent of the destruction in the west of the island of Maui is. “Look at all the houses,” says a pilot flying over the city of Lahaina. It looks like a war zone. Hundreds of burned houses, ship and car wrecks.
Lahaina is the worst affected city. Around 13,000 people lived in the historic port city, which was also very popular with tourists.
convention center as emergency shelter
“Lahaina no longer exists. There is nothing left. The banks, the supermarkets, the churches. Everything has disappeared,” says Harry Donenfeld. He lives on Maui, his house was spared. He took in people who had become homeless. “But most of them just slept on the side of the road,” he reports.
The Hawaii State Convention Center has been converted into an emergency shelter. “It was two super intense days,” a woman at the shelter told local television. “The electricity went out, the gas station exploded. And since then we’ve just been trying to escape the fire.”
Rescued by jumping into the water
It felt like hell, indescribable, says a man on local television. He saved himself by jumping into the water. “I called the police and jumped in the water.” The Coast Guard was able to pull him and others out of the water.
US President Biden has declared a disaster. This can, for example, be used to fund emergency shelters and house repairs. The US military sent helicopters, search and rescue teams to Hawaii.
At the same time, thousands are trying to leave the island. 14,000 people have already been brought from the island, by Friday evening German time there should be another 14,500. Those who do not necessarily have to go to Maui should cancel or rebook the trip, authorities advise.
Thousands of people have already left the island.
search for shelters
The fires in the west of the island are now 80 percent contained, two more in the east up to 70 percent. “We have to accommodate thousands of people,” says Hawaii Governor Josh Green, addressing the whole country in a press conference: “If you have space at home, if you can accommodate someone from West Maui, please do so. “
Maui is one of America’s most popular vacation destinations and relies heavily on tourism. It will take a while until people can and want to go to the island again, suspects resident Harry Donenfeld. “We have lost our economic basis,” he says.
That is one thing, the other is the many tragic stories, the many victims, the high losses. A friend of his opened a gallery on Monday, and it burned down on Tuesday. Everything he worked his whole life for is gone.
The coastal city of Lahaina is located northwest of the Hawaiian island of Maui.