Maui Wildfires

[Martinjmpr]

Lahaina, Hawaii, residents share harrowing escape from devastating wildfires: 'Everything is gone' (yahoo.com)

And the flames grew much faster than anyone could have imagined. In a few hours, the wind-driven blaze tore through popular Front Street and decimated a town center that traced its roots to the 1700s and was on the National Register of Historic Places.

This is just heartbreaking. We were in Lahaina last November, looks like the historic downtown district is gone. I presume the huge Banyan tree also burned up. And even more tragically, 36 confirmed dead which just goes to show what happens when a wildfire hits a populated place like this.

I didn't even know they had wildfires in Hawaii, I figured it was too wet, but apparently it's been quite dry there for a long time and when the winds kicked up, it just exploded.

[ruthabagah]

So sad…. This part of Maui is pretty dry compared to the rest.

[flogger]

I was fortunate enough to work in Maui a half a dozen times remodeling a house my sister-in-law purchased in Kihei, which is south of Lahaina some 35 miles. My niece worked at Pacific Whale Foundation, they do Whale watching tours and snorkel trips around the area. They have a 'slip' at Lahaina and Maalaea (one of the windiest harbors on earth). Lahaina is always dry and hot compared to the southern areas around Hana. So much history there and the Bayan tree is a big part of it. Many very upscale shops in the area, one was a vintage poster shop ($$$ nice stuff) that I can only imagine the loss.

Very tough situation for everyone there. Fires are still threatening south Maui and the impact on tourism will last a while. Of course, they are blaming it on climate change.

.

[O2HeN2]

The old part of Lahaina is similar to the old wood towns of Nome and Cripple Creek. It's almost a case of when, not if, they burn.

..lived on Maui for two years back in the 70s.

Lack of cell phone service on the island is the strongest case for getting your ham Technician license I've seen in awhile.

O2

[Jer]

Super sad. We've got some friends from there who still have family back there. Fortunately, they're all safe but it sounds like they're not quite out of the woods so-to-speak yet. Maui is one of our favorite places on earth and the devastation is going to cripple that economy for the foreseeable future, unfortunately. It's crazy how much the islands depend on tourism to get by. We had a trip planned for Kuai the week after the big floods a few years back. We were going to cancel but then saw a news spot where they were basically begging people to visit. They said it was bad enough that some lost their homes and now they might lose their jobs too. Maui is similar in this respect. Hopefully those who had trips planned still go, if it's safe to do so.

[BladesNBarrels]

....We were going to cancel but then saw a news spot where they were basically begging people to visit. They said it was bad enough that some lost their homes and now they might lose their jobs too. Maui is similar in this respect. Hopefully those who had trips planned still go, if it's safe to do so.

The CBS reports were that so many people were displaced that there will not be accommodations for tourists for quite a long time and that the economy is going to suffer without the tourists.
But....FEMA is on the ground and requesting everyone to get registered.

[Jer]

The CBS reports were that so many people were displaced that there will not be accommodations for tourists for quite a long time and that the economy is going to suffer without the tourists.
But....FEMA is on the ground and requesting everyone to get registered.

I had a feeling that would be the case for the foreseeable future given the circumstances based on what I've seen/heard to this point.

[O2HeN2]

My lefty friends in Hawaii always tell me how well gun control works in the islands.

Everyone over there is going to get a lesson in just how fragile "civilization" is.

I have a feeling that a second disaster - trying to reclaim parts of the island from the gangs - is on the horizon.

...not to mention rebooting the tourist industry after this.

[Bailey Guns]

Maybe I'm ignorant of the platform she's using but if there's no internet how was that message posted?

[O2HeN2]

Maybe I'm ignorant of the platform she's using but if there's no internet how was that message posted?

Probably the same way my friend on Maui posted it on Facebook. They're not in the affected areas when posting (Wailuku, in the case of my friend and if my memory serves), and it's the affected areas that lack communication and the inability to call the cops - the fact that they probably won't come aside...

O2