At least 36 people have been killed and many more are missing as a massive wildfire continues to devastate Hawaii. The entire town of Lahaina, one of the most historic towns in Hawaii, was completely wiped out by the wildfire, leaving hundreds homeless.
Passenger plane captures devastating wildfires happening in Lahaina, Hawaiipic.twitter.com/bsuzlkWUZ0
— Amazing Nature (@AmazingNature00) August 10, 2023
Wildfire Wipes Out Entire Town
Daily Mail reported that the wildfire began on Tuesday and spread fast, especially on the island of Maui. Hurricane Dora caused high winds that fanned the flames, and the low humidity and dry conditions that were the result of a drought only worsened the situation.
Thousands have been fleeing in cars and even on foot, with some jumping in the harbor to escape the heat.
“We just had the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It’s like an apocalypse,” one resident said on Wednesday.
Another resident fled with his wife and child, sleeping in a Whole Foods parking lot before receiving word that their home had been destroyed.
“We got to this side of the island midnight last night, with my wife and dog, we slept in a parking lot at Whole Foods,” he said. “We woke up and got on our phones to pictures of our house down to slab. Nothing but smoke and cinders. We have the clothes we got on, a dog and two kids. And here we are.”
Wildfires have burned historic Hawaii town Lahaina to the ground, at least 36 people lost their lives and 11,000 have been evacuated. Don’t skip this post without leaving a heart for Hawaii. pic.twitter.com/wFo12czpxT
— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) August 10, 2023
‘Dead Bodies Floating On The Seawall’
“We’ve still got dead bodies floating on the seawall,” added another Lahaina local. “They’ve been sitting there since last night. We’ve been pulling people out since last night, trying to save peoples’ lives.”
One local resident said, “There were cars abandoned on the road, I assume those people couldn’t get out in time.”
“They probably headed to the ocean, the ones that could make it, and people leaving their homes,” he added. “If a young person could barely get out of there with their family, then the elderly are trapped, those that are handicapped.”
“It’s terrifying to think about all those families losing their loved ones and their homes,” he concluded.
At least 36 people have been killed in Maui and thousands of Hawaii residents have fled their homes from of one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in years. The fires have been fueled in part by violent winds from Hurricane Dora, more than 800 miles away.
🎥 Front Street in Lahaina pic.twitter.com/NppUeL9wTs
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 10, 2023
Support Conservative Voices!
Sign up to receive the latest political news, insight, and commentary delivered directly to your inbox.
By subscribing, you agree to receive emails from ThePoliticalInsider.com and that you’ve read and agree to our privacy policy and to our terms and conditions. You further agree that the use of reCAPTCHA is subject to the Google Privacy and Terms of Use.
Related: Kamala Harris Says CA Wildfires Caused By Climate Change – They’ve Been Happening For Centuries
Joe Biden And Other Officials Respond
Lt Governor Sylvia Luke flew over Lahaina so that she could assess the damage herself.
“[It] was just so shocking and devastating,” she said afterwards. “The whole town was devastated, the whole town was decimated.”
President Joe Biden has ordered “all available federal assets” be sent to Hawaii to fight these wildfires.
“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui, and our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed,” Biden said, according to Hawaii News Now. “We are grateful to the brave firefighters and first responders who continue to run toward danger, putting themselves in harm’s way to save lives.”
Death toll in Hawaii wildfires climbs to 36 after town ‘wiped off the map’ with 271 buildings torched to the ground as tourists are urged to leave, shelters run out of space as President Biden sends in Black Hawks to help douse the flames pic.twitter.com/re9dDVWjhj
— Molly Ploofkins™ (@Mollyploofkins) August 10, 2023
Related: Oregon Man Starts Wildfire With Molotov Cocktail, Is Released From Jail And Starts 6 More
Governor Issues Warning
Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) has warned that there is not enough shelter “for long-term living” for the hundreds who have lost their homes to the wildfire.
“What we’re trying to do right now is to make sure that anyone who doesn’t need to be in Maui for anything but essential travel does not go to Maui,” he said.
“I’m making a call right now to all the people of Hawaii: If you have an ADU on your property, if you have a rental that’s not occupied right now, we will be promoting a program quite quickly to put people back into shelter,” Green continued. “We already struggle with homelessness and a severe shortage of housing in our state, so this of course exacerbates that problem.”
The whole town of Lahaina, Hawaii is being devasted by Wildfire 😔😔 pic.twitter.com/S2JWNdyfrw
— 𝐑𝐨𝐳𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 🇳🇬 (@MissRozapepper) August 10, 2023
This is clearly a truly horrifying situation for the people of Hawaii. Please join us in saying a prayer for all those impacted by this wildfire, and that it be contained as soon as possible.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”
