Deadly wildfires burning across Maui prompt evacuations: Live Updates - CNN

Live Updates: Maui wildfires prompt rescues in Lahaina

Multiple fires continue to burn on big island in Hawaii County

From CNN’s Sara Smart and Joe Sutton

Crews are working to maintain multiple brushfires taking place in Hawaii County on the big island.

The Akoni Pule Highway fire is about 60% contained as of Wednesday morning local time, according to an update from the Hawai’i Fire Department. It continues to remain a threat to structures in the area.

Guests are sheltered in place at the Mauna Kea Resort, the department says, as multiple more fires burn on the Mauna Kea Beach area. Crews are on scene to assist and are working to contain the fires.

Emergency officials in California are monitoring the situation and are in contact with emergency personnel in the state as well.

Hawai’i County is located on the big island and is separate from the fire that is burning in Maui, which is also still burning.
18 min ago

“We have no more Lahaina." Couple who lost their home to fire 5 years ago are forced to evacuate again

From CNN’s Macie Goldfarb

Mark and Maureen Stefl moved to Maui almost 24 years ago after falling in love with the island while on a vacation.

Now they have been uprooted for the second time in five years by wildfires.

“We have no more Lahaina. It’s gone,” Mark Stefl told CNN on Wednesday.

Five years ago, the couple’s home was burnt to the ground by a quick-moving fire fanned by winds associated with Hurricane Lane. This time, based on television footage they've seen, the two-story yellow house they rebuilt may be the only one standing in their neighborhood.

Stefl said they evacuated with two of their four pets to a friend’s house. They had no choice but to leave behind their other cat and dog, he said.

About a quarter of a mile from their house, a neighbor started up a generator after many residents had lost power due to strong winds fanned by Hurricane Dora. That generator caught fire, he said, and was put out by firefighters before the fire kicked back up again.

His wife was worried. He told her, “Relax, it’s gonna be OK" — but before he knew it, the fire was about 25 yards from his house.

Stefl and his wife grabbed the two animals and pulled out of their garage in a cloud of black smoke as the wind howled around them. They saw flames on both sides of the house. He said they thought they were going to die.

“I’m literally thankful just to be alive right now,” Stefl said.
30 min ago

Climate change among reasons Hawaii fire could have spread so quickly, scientist says

From CNN’s Rachel Ramirez

The wildfires that ripped through Hawaii on Tuesday and Wednesday are “unnerving,” and comparable to the landscape-altering wildfires that are common in the West, said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.

But Fleishman told CNN she wouldn’t be surprised “if wildfires in many parts of the world that are not accustomed to them become more common over time, or become larger or spread more rapidly.”

Although she said it’s hard to say that the climate crisis is linked to this particular event without a thorough analysis, it is possible to break down the conditions that primed the environment for these wildfires to occur.

“We can say there are conditions that are consistent with wildfire, wildfire size and expansion that are changing as climate changes,” she said. “And some of the things that we're seeing with this wildfire in Maui are consistent with some of the trends that are known and projected as climate changes.”

Temperatures are increasing worldwide, including in Hawaii, while drought is getting more intense and lasting longer. As a result, Fleishman said the availability of water has not only decreased for people, but also plants that require more water to thrive.

And in parts of Hawaii, there have been drastic changes in plant species.

A 2018 report from the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization found that humans have introduced nonnative, fire-prone grasses and shrubs to the islands, which has allowed wildfire threat to increase exponentially. Nonnative species, which are critical fire ignitions, now cover nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s total land area.

Wind patterns are another contributing factor that may have some fingerprints of climate change, Fleishman said. High winds, such as the ones that helped fan the flames in Maui, are more likely going to dry out vegetation, air and soil, which could spark wildfires.

“When those strong winds hit, if you already have the heat and the dryness and if you have a spark, a wildfire becomes more likely to grow rapidly,” she added.

While it is uncommon for fires this size to ignite in places like Hawaii, Fleishman said she is hopeful that these places will have some time to prepare for a hotter and drier future that is prime for far more intense wildfires.
36 min ago

"It is absolutely tragic, devastating." Head of helicopter tour business says co-workers lost their homes

From CNN's Raja Razek

The president of a Hawaiian helicopter company said several of his co-workers lost their homes and other partners lost their businesses in the wildfires moving over several parts of the islands.

"It is absolutely tragic, devastating," said Quentin Koch, the president of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. "Tears just keep pouring and pouring from people's faces as we kind of work through the morning and all wake up and realize what we have in front of us," he added.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters canceled its tourism operations and are now partnering with the state and are "focusing and taking care of the people that at need." Koch said helicopters have the unique ability to land in different places like golf courses or smaller airports.

Speaking of the devastation, Koch said, "Seeing it from the air and seeing the pictures just doesn't do it justice."

He noted that not being able to get a hold of some of his co-workers has been difficult, and "you can't stop thinking about it."

"We actually have a friend that's a runner, has gone through in the areas that you are able to access, gone and knock on doors and got verification that people are OK, but the fires are still going, the winds are still there," he said. Officials and other residents have said there is still no service in many places, leaving people to find things out by word of mouth.

"The road from the airport, the main airport in Maui...it is just a two-lane road that has been closed and so there is limited access in and out, limited cell coverage, no internet, they haven't had power in 24 hours, so it is just really hard and it is going to take probably days before we know everybody is okay," Koch said.
48 min ago

Maui coffee farm owner says fires and damage are making it impossible to reach factory

Maui businessman Kimo Falconer, who owns a 500-acre coffee farm, said he's stranded at home as the wildfires rage.

Falconer told CNN that at 3 a.m. he tried to get to his factory, but was unable to do so because of the damage caused by wildfires.

"I was trying to get down to our processing plant, I still have not been able to get down there," he said and described a scene of confusion.

"We watched the fire move all day yesterday, into town and it went north, it went south to every single area," he said.

"As I went through this morning, I couldn't get as far as I wanted to. There weren't roadblocks, but there were telephone poles across the highway that were burning," Falconer said.

He said he is attempting to locate personnel that were at the factory last night.

"I know they were in the middle of fighting this thing last night, that's the last I've heard from them," he said.

Falconer said that if he tries to leave his home, police officers will escort him "out of here."

He's relying on friends and neighbors to give him the information he needs.
53 min ago

Honolulu will send a team of firefighters to Maui, mayor's office says

From CNN’s Joe Sutton

The Honolulu Fire Department will send a team to Maui today to assist in the fire fight, according to Scott Humber, communications director with the Honolulu mayor’s office.

Humber told CNN that 20 to 25 firefighters may be deployed to help relieve some Maui firefighters who have been fighting the fires for the last 24 hours.

Humber added there have been some burn victims flown to Straub Hospital.

The State is also looking to possibly put some of the evacuees at the convention center in Honolulu, which they are preparing now, Humber said.
12 min ago

The historic town of Lahaina is being ravaged by wildfires. Here's what to know about the community

From CNN’s Kara Nelson

Smoke billows as wildfires driven by high winds destroy a large part of the historic town of Lahaina, in Kahului, on Wednesday. From Dustin Johnson/Reuters

Lahaina Town is a historic whaling village and tourism hotspot in Maui, Hawaii. Now, it is being ravaged by a devastating wildfire that has incinerated multiple structures, according to officials.

It is the largest community in West Maui and is located approximately 25 miles from the Kahului Airport.

Front Street, which one resident told CNN was almost completely destroyed by the fire, is ranked as one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association.

Here's what else to know about the community.

History:
Kamehameha III made Lahaina the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1802 to 1845 before it was moved to Honolulu for its harbor. Lahaina is home to the oldest Pacific lighthouse, which was unveiled in 1840. It sits at the edge of the Lahaina Harbor and has been guiding vessels for nearly two centuries. It was initially 9 feet tall but was eventually expanded to 26 feet shipping traffic increased. The town served as a major whaling and fishing port in the 1800s because of its convenient location on whale migration routes.

Tourism:
Lahaina is one of the most visited places in Maui making up 80% of Maui’s tourism. Front Street is a hot spot in Lahaina, and it stretches approximately a mile long. The tourist hub is lined with many art galleries, stores, restaurants, and historic sites. The US Census Bureau estimated a population of 13,216 in 2020. The town is approximately 9.3 square miles, according to the US Census Bureau.1 hr 10 min ago

Here's how you can help Hawaii wildfire victims

From CNN's Impact Your World

Help is desperately needed in Hawaii as devastating, fast-moving wildfires burn out of control across the Big Island and Maui.

Strong winds associated with Hurricane Dora have fanned the flames, knocking out local communication and destroying homes and historic buildings, including the popular Maui tourist destination Lahaina town.

Maui hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering burns and smoke inhalation. Thousands have evacuated or been displaced. Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, but local officials warn that the death toll could rise as more information becomes available.

Click here to support relief efforts. Impact Your World will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates with more ways to help.
1 hr 18 min ago

Hot and dry winds "set the conditions for the wildfires," official says

Smoke blows across the slope of Haleakala volcano in Maui on Tuesday. Matthew Thayer/The Maui News/AP

While officials have not officially begun investigating the cause of the fires in Maui, the area had been under fire risk, according to Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, the Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense.

The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning, which means warm temperatures, low humidity, strong winds and increased fire danger, according to the weather agency.

"That set the conditions for the wildfires," he said Wednesday during a news conference.