https://sputnikglobe.com/20230809/videos-wildfires-destroy-historic-hawaii-towns-as-islands-dodge-hurricane-hit-1112494375.html

Videos: Wildfires Destroy Historic Hawaii Towns as Islands Dodge Hurricane Hit

Videos: Wildfires Destroy Historic Hawaii Towns as Islands Dodge Hurricane Hit

Sputnik International

Hawaiian authorities would have been breathing a sigh of relief on Wednesday as a tropical cyclone missed the archipelago, but raging wildfires have annihilated a historic city, whipped by the nearby storm’s winds.

2023-08-09T20:34+0000

2023-08-09T20:34+0000

2023-08-09T20:34+0000

americas

hawaii

wildfires

hurricane

fire

us coast guard

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/09/1112494576_14:0:1353:753_1920x0_80_0_0_ced26366a424bb7565cf9fc36be3483e.jpg

Fires are nothing new to the Aloha State, which sits atop a series of active volcanoes in the Pacific. However, these flames weren’t sparked by glowing hot magma near the towering volcanic peaks, but among the dry upland brush.Wildfires on Hawaii tend to be rare, confined to the dry side of an island, which are often covered in grassy prairies. Such is the case in western Maui, where the fires have been the most destructive.Richard Bissen, who serves as the mayor of Maui, told media Wednesday that officials have confirmed at least six deaths as a result of the wildfires. He noted the death toll may increase as search and rescue efforts are ongoing.Hawaii Governor Sylvia Luke has declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak of flames, which spread rapidly due to high winds and dry conditions. Bizarrely, US President Joe Biden erroneously told US media he had already made a similar declaration when he had not.In the Kula upland area near the island’s center, fires have consumed about 1.5 square miles of land and forced 80 people from their homes, two of which were destroyed.The devastation was much worse on the island’s far western rim, where much of the historic town of Lahaina had been consumed by flames on Wednesday.The flames were being fanned by outer winds from Hurricane Dora, which passed some 500 miles south of the islands. Winds of 70 miles per hour spread the flames rapidly and poured smoke across the island, obscuring both the actively burning places and the escape routes from the advancing flames. Ironically, Hawaii has long been considered to have “good luck” when it comes to hurricanes, as the island chain has a reputation of cyclones veering away before landing a direct hit.The winds also prevented authorities from using much of their firefighting repertoire, including the dropping of water on the fires.The first footage from the aftermath in Lahaina on Wednesday morning showed the town basically wiped off the face of the Earth.According to the US Coast Guard, 12 people were rescued from the waters off Lahaina, having fled to the sea to escape the flames.Local authorities indicated that at least two people were being treated in a Honolulu hospital some 90 miles away, including an elderly woman and a firefighter. Fires were also reported on other islands, too. On the Big Island, also known as Hawaii, Mayor Mitch Roth told the media there was “minimal damage” to any homes. On Oahu, where the capital and largest city of Honolulu is located, the high winds had downed power lines, leaving at least 14,500 people without power on Wednesday, and caused other traffic problems as well.Wildfires have grown worse around the globe in recent years, with the summer of 2023 being especially bad. Fires raging in Italy, Greece, Canada, and the United States have devastated huge swaths of land and encroached upon urban areas. The fires in northern Canada are so intense, they have already exceeded the country’s entire annual carbon dioxide output last year, and amount to 25% of global carbon emissions by themselves.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230726/crime-against-all-living-beings-climate-change-being-fueled-by-government-inaction-1112146584.html

americas

hawaii

2023

News

en_EN

hawaii; wildfire; hurricane dora; lahaina town