Hawaii wildfires burn Maui to the ground, 36 dead, over 270 structures damaged
India TodayA wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in darkness on Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames. Flyovers of the coastal town of Lahaina by U.S. Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department showed the extent of the loss, said Mahina Martin, a spokesperson for Maui County. Maui officials urged visitors to leave Lahaina, and the island was organizing a “mass bus evacuation” Wednesday afternoon to take people directly to the airport, according to an update from the county. “It was that quick.” Crews were battling three fires in Maui: in Lahaina, south Maui’s Kihei area and the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry, said Mahina Martin, spokesperson for Maui County. In the Upcountry community of Kula, at least two homes were destroyed Tuesday in a fire that engulfed about 1.7 square miles, County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.