Shocking before-and-after images show utter devastation of Maui wildfire
Wildfires in Maui have killed at least 36 people and injured dozens more.
At least 270 structures were damaged or destroyed.
Sylvia Luke, Hawaii’s acting governor, said the flames “wiped out communities,†and she urged travelers to stay away. “This is not a safe place to be,†Luke said.
At least 36 people have died, according to a statement from Maui County late Wednesday.
New satellite imagery shows the scale of the devastation wrought upon Lahaina, a waterfront city of about 13,000 residents on the northwest side of the island.
On the left side of the image below is an aerial shot of Lahaina on June 25.
The right side of the image shows most buildings have been burned to the ground, and the surrounding landscape is charred.
Wind-whipped wildfires raced through the heart of the island of Maui, killing 53 people, forcing evacuations and gutting much of the historic town of Lahaina.
The wind-driven conflagration swept into coastal Lahaina with alarming speed and ferocity, blazing through intersections and leaping across wooden buildings in the town center, which dates to the 1700s and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The image below is a closer look at Lahaina Square Shopping Center, which appears to have been severely damaged along with the neighborhood around it.
The fires continued to burn Wednesday afternoon, fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora as it passed well south of the Hawaiian islands. Officials feared the death toll could rise.
Huntington Beach Edison High was scheduled to play two football games in Maui, but wildfires in the Lahaina area have forced the trip’s cancellation.
The image below shows Lahaina Banyan Court, a park that is home to the oldest living tree on Maui, and the nearby Lahaina marina, where nearly every visible structure was wiped out.
It was unclear whether the tree had survived the fire.
President Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening that he had ordered “all available federal assets†to help Hawaii. The president said the Coast Guard and Navy were supporting the fire response and rescue efforts, while the Marines are providing Black Hawk helicopters for aerial support in the firefight.
There was no count available of the number of structures destroyed or the number of people who had evacuated, but officials said there there were about 2,100 people in four shelters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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