Posted on 08/09/2023 6:17:34 AM PDT by cuz1961
Maui Fire updates: Strong winds fuel Lahaina, Kula, Pūlehu/Kīhei fires; more evacuation orders issued
First evacuations started across from us yesterday at 4a at Kula 200. 1200 acres at that time up to the back of Kula Lodge. All the firefighting stuff up there. Then fire down at Lahaina town. Lahaina is gone. Completely gone. People jumping into the ocean to escape the fire rescued by Coast Guard. Many many more evacuations upcountry and all the way back down to Kihei. Burning up there now. Evacuations there now. I think Pukalani is safe. Maybe Makawao. Hana is prob ok. Prob Haiku. Kahului is ok I think. Many fires set in Kula and upcountry and Lahaina. Lahaina town is gone. Lahaina harbor is gone. The churches and schools and houses gone. Still dark there. Bistro and Kula Losge don't know. Our old house don't know. Nothing under control. Prayers needed.
Lahina is the tourist town, was that is.
Prayers needed please.
“Many fires set....”
Praying for strength and perseverance through this devastating time. Stay safe.
Wow, lot of nice shops and restaurants there.
Update: 1:44 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
The Maui Emergency Management Agency advises that there are more immediate evacuations in effect. The latest evacuation orders are for Kāʻanapali Golf Estates, including Kaulapa Loop, Puʻu Anoano Street, Hakui Loop and Wekio Place. Shelter is available at the Maui Preparatory Academy in Nāpili. MEMA advises residents of the area: “Grab your go kits and evacuate your family and pets now.”
More Evacuations Ordered in Kīhei and Kula
Update: 1:47 a.m., 12:40 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
Maui fire crews continue to battle three large wildfires–one in Lahaina, one in Pūlehu that has traveled down to Kīhei; and one in Kula, which has burned more than 1,000 acres since it was first reported early Tuesday morning.
The Maui Fire Department is advising “immediate proactive evacuation” of residents of Holopuni and Pūlehu roads in Kula. In South Maui, proactive evacuations are also issued for subdivisions north and south of Lipoa Parkway down to Maui Meadows and the Ohukai subdivision in Kīhei.
The Lahaina Civic Center evacuation site has been moved to Maui Preparatory Academy in Nāpili-Honokōwai to place evacuees away from impacted Lahaina Town. Residents at the Kihei Community Center evacuation site have been relocated to Maui High School as a precautionary measure.
Evacuees are reminded that emergency shelters do not provide bedding, toiletries and personal care items. Pet owners utilizing the shelter will need to have pets properly restrained.
Hawaiian Electric Co. advises residents to stay at least 30 feet or more away from downed power lines, which may be energized. Downed power lines can be reported to 911 or Hawaiian Electricʻs trouble line at 808-871-7777. More information is available at Downed Power Line Safety | Hawaiian Electric
Maui Bus & Human Service Transportation services suspension
Update: 1:19 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
The following Maui Bus Fixed Route services will be suspended until further notice: Lahaina Islander Route #20, Lahaina Villager Route #23, Kāʻanapali Islander Route #25, and West Maui Islander Route #28. Bus riders are encouraged to check the Maui Bus app for updates.
Maui Bus ADA Paratransit Service and MEO Human Service Transportation trips to/from and within the West Maui area are suspended until further notice.
All Maui Bus Commuter Services will be suspended until further notice.
All other bus services are planned to run as scheduled, but may experience delays due to roadway conditions impacted by brush fires.
Hawaiian Airlines issues travel advisory for Maui passengers
12 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
Maui’s brush fires are currently not impacting Kahului Airport (OGG) schedule as of midnight on Aug. 9; However, as the situation continues to evolve, Hawaiian Airlines encourage guests who are flying to or from Maui to check their website and mobile app for further updates on individual flights.
911 service in West Maui is not available
Update: 12:17 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
911 service in West Maui is not available at this time, as of 12:17 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. For emergencies call the Lahaina Police Department directly at 808-661-4441.
Shelter update
Update: 12:13 a.m., Aug. 9, 2023
As of midnight, there are now five shelters open on Maui to accommodate residents and visitors who are impacted by multiple fires burning across the Valley Isle. Shelters include:
Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani
Maui Prep Academy in West Maui
Kīhei Community Center in South Maui
Maui High School Gym in Central Maui
War Memorial Gym in Central Maui
Evacuation order issued for Kīhei, east of Piʻilani Hwy., including Maui Meadows
Update: 11:34 p.m., Aug. 8, 2023
An evacuation order has been issued for the Kīhei area mauka (east) of Piʻilani Highway, including all of Maui Meadows due to a brushfire, according to Maui Emergency Management Agency.
People in the area are advised to evacuate your family and pets immediately. The recommended shelter to use is the Maui High School gym or the Kīhei Community Center. Expect conditions that may make driving difficult and watch for public safety personnel operating in the area.
The Kīhei fire is reportedly an extension of the Pūlehu fire reported on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Bissen issues emergency proclamation; Residents enter ocean to escape fire
Update: 10:35 p.m., 9:52 p.m, Aug. 8, 2023
Firefighter crews continue to battle brush and structure fires in Upcountry and Lahaina areas.
Mayor Bissen issued an emergency proclamation in response to fires, and the County has requested support from the National Guard.
The American Red Cross has opened Maui High School as an evacuation center.
Wahikuli residents in West Maui were evacuated this evening. Those who sought shelter at the Lahaina Civic Center were being transported further north to Maui Preparatory Academy instead.
The Coast Guard has been responding to impacted areas where “residents had entered the ocean” due to smoke and fire conditions. Individuals were transported by the Coast Guard to safe areas, according to the latest update from the County of Maui.
A firefighter who was responding to the West Maui fire has experienced smoke inhalation and was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in stable condition.
Hononoapiʻilani Highway remains open to outbound traffic only. Motorist should expect heavy traffic and delays. We have reports that residents who attempted to make it out of West Maui spent three hours in traffic as they attempted the drive to Central Maui between 6 and 9 p.m. There were also limited options for gas with many of the gas stations closed on the West side, according to area residents.
Water buffalos containing drinking water are located at Kula Fire Station, Kula Community Center, Rice Park and Crater Road – Hydrant 373.
Multiple evacuation orders are in place, including a call for evacuations along Kahoma Street at around 9:30 p.m. Structure damages have occurred; however, county officials were unable to provide details on the extent of damages at this time.
The American Red Cross is staffing emergency shelters at Kīhei Community Center in South Maui, and in Pukalani at Hannibal Tavares Community Center. Pet owners utilizing the shelters need to have pets properly restrained.
Hawaiian Electric Co. advises residents to stay at least 30 feet or more away from downed power lines, which may be energized. Downed power lines can be reported to 911 or Hawaiian Electricʻs trouble line at 808-871-7777. More information is available at Downed Power Line Safety | Hawaiian Electric
Kahoma St. evacuations are underway in West Maui
9:33 p.m., Aug. 8, 2023
Kahoma Street evacuations are underway in West Maui as of 9:33 p.m.
We have reports that residents who attempted to make it out of West Maui spent three hours in traffic as they attempted the drive to Central Maui. There were also limited options for gas with many of the gas stations closed on the West side.
Honoapiʻilani Hwy closed to Lahaina bound traffic at Leialiʻi Pkwy;
Motorists should avoid Lahaina Town
Update: 8:07 p.m, Aug. 8, 2023
There are multiple road closures in West Maui. Maui police are advising motorists should avoid Lahiana Town. Honoapiʻilani Highway is closed to Lahaina bound traffic at Leialiʻi Parkway. Kāʻanapali bound traffic is open as of 8:07 p.m. We also have reports of a brush fire that forced the closure of Pūlehu Road between Ōmaʻopio Rd and Kula Highway at around 7:30 p.m. The Kula fire continues to burn with crews still on scene there. That fire has burned more than 1,000 acres at last report.
USCG deployed to assist with West Maui fire
Update: 8 p.m., Aug. 8, 2023
The US Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak, a MH-65 Dolphin aircrew, and a small boat crew from Station Maui have deployed to Front Street and Lahaina Small Boat Harbor in the response effort to the fire in West Maui.
Multiple structures have burned”; Strong winds fuel Lahaina flare-up and large Kula fire
Update: 5:50 p.m., Aug. 8, 2023
“Multiple structures have burned” and multiple evacuations are in place, as firefighter crews continue battling brush and structure fires in Upcountry and Lahaina areas, County officials report. We checked in with Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. this evening as high winds continue and nightfall approaches.
“Today we are experiencing challenges in the West Maui and Upcountry areas. Our firefighter crews and other emergency responders have been battling brush fire conditions since early this morning. High winds and unpredictable conditions have caused multiple evacuations,” he said in an evening phone call with Maui Now / Pacific Media Group.
“Today we are focused on keeping our people safe—residents, visitors and emergency responders. I ask for your continued vigilance and that you make good decisions, keep safe, stay away from downed power lines, and evacuate when necessary,” said Mayor Bissen.
In West Maui, fire crews from Nāpili, Lahaina, Kihei and Wailuku responded to the fast-moving fire, which was fueled by strong winds as Hurricane Dora passed well south of Hawaiʻi.
On the West side, evacuations occurred at Lahainaluna Road, Hale Mahaolu, Kelawea Mauka and Lahaina Bypass.
Honoapiʻilani Highway from Hōkiokio Place to Lahaina Bypass was reopened at about 5 p.m., following the clearing of downed power lines, to allow access in and out of Lahaina via Hōkiokio Place. Motorists are advised to expect traffic to be slowed through the bypass.
In Upcountry Maui, where firefighters from Kula, Makawao, Kahului and Wailea were assigned, crews were focused on the subdivision including Kulalani Drive and Kulalani Circle at about 5 p.m. The Fire Department called for the evacuation of residents from the subdivision.
The Upcountry fire, reported at 12:22 a.m. today near Olinda Road, led to early-morning evacuations of residents in the Kula 200 and Hanamu Road areas. As of Tuesday afternoon, the perimeter of the Upcountry fire was about 1,000 acres and reached as far as Kualono Place near the Kula Lodge.
The American Red Cross is staffing emergency shelters at Lahaina Civic Center and in Pukalani at Hannibal Tavares Community Center. Pet owners utilizing the shelters need to have pets properly restrained.
“We’ll need to watch out for each other as we make our way through today’s hazardous conditions in the Upcountry and West Maui areas,” said Mayor Bissen.
Human caused global warming as in arson?
You know now this will be the rallying cry for the Climate Change Wackos, they’ve been dreaming of something like this happening.
Locals still beat up white people for the crime of buying a house?
There is only 1 road out of lahaina,, same situation as in paradise fire in Calif A few years back.
Our honeymoon was at Kula Lodge after being married at Four Seasons Resort. Beautiful place. I hope hope hope the fire doesn’t take out the Lodge. Love Pukalani, too. We lived in Kihei.
If “maybe Makawao”, then maybe Paia, too?
So sad. Some of the old plantation properties around there.
Lahaina town is gone? I’m crying.
Seems probable. The referenced first-hand email states fires being set.
No.
I had family there.
They moved due to vac restrictions that would have prevented flight off island for severe medical issues due to vac requirements even though their medical situation stipulated no vac due to pre existing immune condition.
The Vax Natzis drove them off the island.
They were lucky in that one regard.
Stayed at the Pioneer Inn in 1977. Oh my. What a tragedy.
The arsonists hit the big isle too.
HONOLULU — Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities late Tuesday as firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by downed trees and power lines.
The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles (805 kilometers), was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph (97 kph) that knocked out power as night fell, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters.
Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard.
Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple blazes concentrated in two areas: the popular tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region. It wasn’t immediately known how many buildings had burned, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone interview late Tuesday.
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 said.
About 13,000 customers in Maui were without power, Hawaiian Electric reported Tuesday night.
“It’s definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it’s multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas,” Martin said.
Winds were recorded at 80 mph (129 kph) in inland Maui and one fire that was believed to be contained earlier Tuesday flared up hours later with the big winds, she added.
“The fire can be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house,” Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said.
Hurricane Dora was complicating matters for firefighters in an already dry season.
Hawaii is sandwiched between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system associated with Dora, said Jeff Powell, a meteorologist in Honolulu. The dryness and the gusts “make a dangerous fire situation so that fires that do exist can spread out of control very rapidly,” he said.
“It’s kind of because of Hurricane Dora, but it’s not a direct result,” he said, calling the fires a “peripheral result” of the hurricane’s winds.
In the Kula area of Maui, at least two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1,100 acres (1.7 square miles, or 4.5 square kilometers), Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said.
“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.
Fires in Hawaii are unlike many of those burning in the U.S. West. They tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than mainland fires.
Fires were rare in Hawaii and on other tropical islands before humans arrived, and native ecosystems evolved without them. This means great environmental damage can occur when fires erupt. For example, fires remove vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rainfall, the rain can carry loose soil into the ocean, where it can smother coral reefs.
A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate.
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.
The weather service had in effect a high wind warning and red flag warnings for dangerous fire weather, Powell said.
These conditions were expected through Tuesday, decreasing throughout the day Wednesday and into Thursday.
Over/under on how long it takes Joe to make this about Beau?
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