Posted on 08/11/2023 3:47:54 AM PDT by texas booster
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. As of today:
There are 55 deaths
270 structures impacted/destroyed
3 active fires:
Lahaina 80% contained,
Pūlehu/Kīhei 70% contained; and
Kula – no containment information
Mass visitor/resident evacuations out of West Maui continue
Still no power in West Maui – approximately 12,400 customers remain offline
1350 people at five shelters 1,400 people stayed overnight at Kahului Airport
14,000 departed Maui on Wednesday;
Another 14,500 expected to leave today
Here today, gone to Maui.
I’m asking seriously, how did so many people die?
I understand high rise deaths, but this is spread out.
Did people die in vehicles stuck on a single road of egress?
Lahaina? I don’t even recognize any of that.
“ I’m asking seriously, how did so many people die?”
That’s my question, exactly. Something just doesn’t seem right about all this.
I had that tee shirt.
Most died because the fire moved so fast the could not get out. Fanned by 70 & 80 mph winds, it just flew through town. Most streets & roads in and around Lahaina are just 2 lanes, making evacuation very difficult. The picture going around of all the burned out cars along the seal wall along Front Street were cars abandoned as folks tried to flee. Those folks jumped into the ocean.
Thanks. I didn’t know it was that windy.
I was at “the Banyan tree” back in ‘82.
Shame for all involved.
The Banyan tree will hopefully survive. The fire moved so fast she was not destroyed. Scorched badly, but still largely intact.
A lot of the residences were basically glorified shacks. Tinder for any blaze with the winds to carry it through quickly. Plus I understand there was a lot of dry natural bio material laying around.
I wonder if somebody’s cookout touched it off.
Did people die refusing to leave uninsured or underinsured homes?
If people died because they refused to evac, that might explain why.
There is only 1 one lane road out of town running north or south of town,,
That town isn’t very big to begin with.
The speed of the fire, the high wind, the blinding suffocating smoke, the time of the fire,
The perfect storm.
I hope not. I’m not sure what their supposed logic would be for that.
Sad either way.
Hawaii was already under a red flag warning.
Why were residents not ready to bug, especially after what happened on the Big Island in 2018...
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lahainacdphawaii/PST045222
I think the above explains more.
Interesting that we still have no cause for the fire.
I’m wondering if someone, or a bunch of them, have their eyes on that real estate.
And were being inconvenienced by the fact that people already lived there.
How did these fires start?
You see it all the time.
Look at folks in the path or a hurricane, or during wildfire season in CA.
Looking at the census data for the area, I’m thinking that many there won’t be able to rebuild.
Hawaii is still in the process, five freaking years later and after who knows how much federal taxpayer money, of buying out properties on Leilani Estates.
A lot if those owners weren’t insured or were underinsured.
I’ve always wondered if they got permits to build and/or mortgages because HI used it fie de facto low income housing.
I remember going by there on our way from South Point to Hilo.
Hawaii is a weird place. From billionaires to homeless…
Yes; the winds were reportedly gusting up to 80 mph. Once the fire gets going, then, it essentially becomes a blowtorch. And yes, routes out of the way are mainly only two: north and south. Downed trees, power poles, and power lines blocked escape as well as emergency response. An horrific, hellish storm, with no time for people to flee and no way to fight it. Gutwrenching, heartbreaking stuff.
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