36 People Died In Forest Fire On Hawaii's Maui Island

JAKARTA - At least 36 people died after a forest fire, sparked by the wind from the storm, destroyed most of the resort town of Lahaina on Hawaii's Maui Island, Maui County said in a statement.

Several neighborhoods burned to the ground as the west side of the island was almost cut off, with only one highway open, while thousands of people had to be evacuated when officials said the damage was spreading to Lahaina, ports and surrounding areas. Some people fled to the sea to avoid smoke and flames.

"We just had the worst disaster I've ever seen. All of Lahaina is on fire. It's like an apocalypse," said Lahaina resident Mason Jarvi, who fled the city.

Sementara itu, para pejabat mengatakan angin dari Hurricane Dora, ratusan mil ke arah barat daya, telah mengimipasi api di seluruh negara bagian.

Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency said late Wednesday the National Weather Service had canceled "Red Flag Warning" and "High Wind Light" for all Hawaiian Islands.

But EU County officials said fire fighting efforts were ongoing. They gave no other details.

Sementara itu, Lieutenant Gubernur Hawaii Sylvia Luke mengatakan pada konferensi pers, para pejabat masih mengaksir kerusakan.

"This will be a long way to go for recovery," he said.

An aerial video shows smoke pillars billowing from block by block Lahaina, the biggest tourist destination in Maui and home to several large hotels.

"It's like a bomb area. It's like a war zone," said helicopter pilot Richard Olsten, according to Hawaii News Now.

Amid attempts by firefighters to fight against three major fires, western Maui was closed to all but emergency workers and refugees.

About 271 buildings were damaged or destroyed, Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, citing an official report from US Civil Air Patrol and Fire Department Maui.

The fire, which started late Tuesday, also scorched parts of Hawaii's Big Island, with thousands of hectares of burned land.

Separately, the Department of Transportation of Hawaii said more than 11,000 travelers were evacuated from Maui on Wednesday night. Although at least 16 roads were closed, Maui airport is fully operational and airlines are lowering fares, offering relief from removing people from the island, watchen said the day before.

"We have now opened Honopilani Highway and Lahaina Bypass, which are closed for most of the day to ensure we take everyone to the airport," he added.

It is known that the evacuation effort was complicated by power outages and disruptions to cell phone services, as communication with the west side of Maui was only available via satellite, said Lieutenant Governor Luke.

The White House issued a message of condolences from President Joe Biden, praising the firefighters' work and ordering "all Federal assets available in the Islands to provide assistance."

The National Guard, US Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard are mobilized, while the US Department of Transportation is assisting with evacuation efforts, President Biden said.

The cause of the fire in Maui has not been confirmed, but the National Weather Service said it was triggered by a mixture of dry vegetation, strong winds and low humidity.