Wildfires in Hawaii − fueled in part by strong winds from a passing hurricane − have forced hundreds of evacuations, caused thousands to lose power, destroyed homes and even sent some residents fleeing into the ocean to escape the flames.
County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin told USA TODAY on Wednesday that the fires are affecting three areas of the island: Lahaina, a residential and tourist area with a commercial district in West Maui; Kula, a residential area in the inland, mountainous Upcountry region; and Kihei, home to a mix of condominiums, short-term vacation rentals and visitor facilities in South Maui.
Maui county officials said multiple structures have burned and multiple evacuation orders are in place as emergency crews battle brush and structure fires. Martin said it’s still unclear how many people have been evacuated, how large the fires are and how many structures have been damaged.
“We have a lot that we will learn at daybreak,” she said. “It’s been an unprecedented incident striking large areas of our island and it has been pretty much all hands on deck.”
Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke and Maui Mayor Richard Bissen have issued emergency proclamations in response to the fire. The Hawaii National Guard has been activated.
The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing 500 miles south of the island chain, and a very strong high pressure north of the state produced strong, damaging winds through the overnight hours.
“These strong winds coupled with low humidity levels are producing dangerous fire weather conditions that will last through Wednesday afternoon,” the weather service said Wednesday.
Homes destroyed, residents evacuated
The Coast Guard has been responding to areas where residents are “entering the ocean due to smoke and fire conditions,” county officials said. A Coast Guard boat rescued 12 people from the waters off Lahaina, officials said on X, formerly Twitter.
Front Street business owner Alan Dickar told CBS News buildings on both sides of the street were engulfed in flames. Dickar said it appeared the fire department was overwhelmed.
“Maui can’t handle this,” Dickar said. “A lot of people just lost their jobs because a lot of businesses burned. A lot of people lost their homes. … This is going to be devastating for Maui.”
In Kula, at least two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1,100 acres, Bissen told the Associated Press. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said.
The Red Cross has opened several emergency shelters for residents. Martin said one evacuation center alone had more than 1,200 people and the Kahului Airport has more than 2,000 visitors who have either cancelled flights or nowhere to go.
“I am absolutely certain they are very anxious at our evacuation centers,” she said.
Martin said there have been no reports of injuries except for a firefighter who experienced smoke inhalation while responding to the West Maui fire and was taken to a local hospital where he is in stable condition.
Wildfire smoke map:See where fires are burning in Hawaii and across the US
Thousands without power, 911 service no longer available in West Maui
More than 14,000 customers in Maui county were without power, according to Poweroutage.us. County officials advised residents to stay at least 30 feet from downed power lines, which at one point restricted travel along parts of Honoapiilani Highway. Part of the highway was reopened Tuesday evening to allow access in and out of Lahaina, but motorists were told to expect traffic to move slowly through the bypass.
In West Maui, 911 service is no longer available. Martin said it’s been “very difficult” to manage evacuation orders in Lahaina because the area does not have cell service and only landlines are functioning.
The island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, also was dealing with power outages, downed power lines and traffic problems, said Adam Weintraub, communication director for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
Strong winds are fueling the flames
In Kula, winds were recorded at 80 mph, “which greatly affected the speed and the movement of the fire,” Martin said.
Because of the wind gusts, helicopters weren’t able to dump water on the fires from the sky — or gauge more precise fire sizes — and firefighters were encountering roads blocked by downed trees and power lines as they worked the inland fires, Martin previously told the Associated Press.
A high wind warning and red flag warning for dangerous fire weather issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu are expected to remain in effect through Wednesday.
Fires also burning on the Big Island
Hawaii County officials said Tuesday that they are monitoring two brush fires burning in North and South Kohala. The fires prompted evacuations and power outages in the area.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday approved the state’s request for a disaster declaration to provide assistance with “the wind-whipped Kohala Ranch wildfire on the Big Island,” according to a new release from the governor’s office.
The fire, which began early Tuesday, threatened about 200 homes near the rural community of Kohala Ranch, a volunteer fire department, local electrical transmission lines and an AT&T cellular communications tower in the area, officials said The fire was uncontained and had burned more than 600 acres of land when the request for federal assistance was made.
The release said firefighters battling that fire and the two other uncontrolled fires on the Big Island and Maui “have been hampered by the winds, which made it impossible to provide aircraft support for their efforts to contain the flames.”
“We’re trying to protect homes in the community,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of evacuating about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. As of Tuesday, the roof of one house caught on fire, he said.
Contributing: The Associated Press