Residents of Lahaina, Hawaii, are allowed back home for the first time since wildfires turned the town into a hellscape of ashen rubble. The devastation includes flattened buildings, charred cars, and pools filled with charcoal-colored water. The wildfires are the deadliest natural disaster in the state since a 1960 tsunami.
Maui County says in an online statement that firefighting efforts are continuing and the Lahaina fire is not yet contained.LAHAINA, Hawaii - Incinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles. Charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings they once served. Pools filled with charcoal-colored water. Trampolines and children's scooters mangled by the extreme heat.
The wildfires are the state's deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted the development of the territory-wide emergency system that includes sirens, which are sounded monthly to test their readiness.
Gov. Josh Green warned that the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. He also said that Lahaina residents would be allowed to return Friday to check on their property and that people would be able to get out, too, to get water and access other services. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.
Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage family keepsakes from the ashes of their home. But all they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gilles' father gave her as a child, their daughter's jade bracelet and the watches they gifted each other for their wedding.They described their fear as the strong wind whipped and the smoke and flames moved closer. But they said they were just happy that they and their two children made it out alive.
Lahaina's wildfire risk is well known. Maui County's hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage. Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but the department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said. That means crews can't attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas.
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