Authorities have reported that a Hawaiian town has been almost entirely consumed by the wildfire, and at least 53 people have died. Hawaii’s Governor classified it as “the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s state history.”
A terrifying wildfire that left a historic Hawaiian town in charred ruins has killed at least 53 people, authorities said Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state’s history.
Bushfires on the west coast of Hawaii’s Maui island, fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane, broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.
The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets, or jumping into the ocean, desperately trying to escape.
The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a significant heat wave baking the US southwest.
Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc.
“What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic… likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history,” Governor Josh Green said.
Green said 80 percent of the town was gone.
Thousands have been left homeless, and Green said a massive operation was swinging into action to find accommodation.
President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, with rebuilding expected to take years.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
