Maui fire, accident, blast, Hawaii wildfires kill at least 6 people and destroy homes on Maui

 

A wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in darkness Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames.least 6 people died,dozens were wounded and 271 structures were damaged or deat distroyed

This is a deeply somber day," Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. "The gravity of losing any life is tragic. As we grieve with their families, we offer prayers for comfort in this inconsolable time.

As winds diminished somewhat, some aircraft resumed flights, enabling pilots to view the full scope of the devastation. Flyovers of the coastal town of Lahaina by U.S. Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department showed the extent of the loss, said Mahina Martin, a spokesperson for Maui County.

"It's horrifying. I've flown here 52 years and I've never seen anything come close to that," said Richard Olsten, a helicopter pilot for a tour company. "We had tears in our eyes, the other pilots on board and the mechanics, and me."

Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke said the flames "wiped out communities," and urged travelers to stay away.

"This is not a safe place to be," she said.

Maui officials urged visitors to leave Lahaina, and the island was organizing a "mass bus evacuation" Wednesday afternoon to take people directly to the airport, according to an update from the county.

KAHULUI, Hawaii — A wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in darkness Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames. At least six people died, dozens were wounded and 271 structures were damaged or destroyed.

West Maui remained without cell or landline phone service or electricity, the county said.

The exact cause of the blaze couldn't be determined, but a number of factors, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation, likely contributed, said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the Hawaii State Department of Defense. Experts also said climate change is increasing the likelihood of more extreme weather.

"Climate change in many parts of the world is increasing vegetation dryness, in large part because temperatures are hotter," said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University. "Even if you have the same amount of precipitation, if you have higher temperatures, things dry out faster."