Topline
At least 67 people are dead after wildfires engulfed Lahaina, Maui, officials said Friday, as the town continues to experience a string of fires that damaged or destroyed some of its historic landmarks.
The 150-year-old banyan tree in front of the Lahaina Courthouse.
Key Facts
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said in an on-air interview with CNN on Friday afternoon that all of the confirmed fatalities occurred “out in the streets or out in the open” and that “without a doubt there will be more fatalities” as crews search destroyed homes.
A 150-year-old banyan tree—a 60-foot-tall tree spanning an entire city block and 46 trunks, according to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation—has been charred and will “likely grow back,” according to city officials, though James Friday, a forester from the University of Hawaii, told the New York Times it “doesn’t look like that tree is going to recover.”
The Baldwin Home—believed to be the oldest house on Maui—burned to the ground, according to CNN.
Waiola Church, established in 1823 as the official church of the Hawaiian royal family, was “destroyed,” a church employee told USA Today.
The Pioneer Inn—a hotel built in 1901 and later purchased by Best Western—was destroyed, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The Lahaina Heritage Museum—which documented the city’s complete history—was also destroyed, Lahaina Restoration Foundation members told the Times.
Crucial Quote
Kaniela Ing, a former member of Hawaii’s House of Representatives, told NBC News about the city’s landmarks: “You can actually see the flow in the buildings stemming back 150 or more years. It’s remarkable, and just the thought that that history may have been lost in this fire or any bit of that history is heartbreaking.”
Big Number
Nearly 11,000. That’s how many people are without power in Maui as of Friday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
Key Background
More than 270 buildings have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires in Lahaina, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The city’s historic district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) tweeted earlier this week that Lahaina had “almost totally burnt to the ground.” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Wednesday that several homes and businesses had also been destroyed. President Joe Biden declared Thursday that a “major disaster exists” in Hawaii, offering federal aid to support local recovery efforts. Additional assistance for temporary housing and home repairs would be provided by grants, including other recovery programs. A mass evacuation effort will continue Friday, county officials said, as United Airlines and American Airlines provided additional flights to help tourists and residents leave Maui.
Further Reading
Maui Fire Death Toll Jumps To 53, As Multiple Blazes Continue (Forbes)
Maui Fire: Major Airlines Send Planes For Mass Evacuation Efforts (Forbes)
What’s Causing Hawaii’s Deadly Wildfires—Experts Point To Flammable Grasses, Drought And Hurricane Winds (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/08/11/hawaii-wildfires-at-least-67-dead-and-some-of-islands-oldest-landmarks-destroyed/