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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 10, 2023 0:21:21 GMT -5
Live updates: Maui wildfires kill 6, visitors asked to leave ‘as soon as possible’
Story by Andrea Salcedo, Anumita Kaur, Scott Dance, Marisa Iati, Jennifer Hassan, Ben Brasch, Kelsey Ables, Lyric Li • 6h Several large fires raging across two of Hawaii’s islands, fueled by winds connected to Hurricane Dora, killed at least six people, displaced hundreds of families and trapped thousands of tourists, officials said Wednesday. The popular tourist town of Lahaina on Maui has been devastated, while tourists have been warned to avoid traveling to the hard-hit island, where shelters are at maximum capacity. Visitors with vehicles or other means of transportation are being asked to leave Lahaina and Maui “as soon as possible” due to “limited resources in this time of crisis,” the county government said. Here’s what to know Lahaina has been “almost totally burnt to the ground,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said Wednesday. “Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control, and our first responders are in search-and-rescue mode.” Officials signed an emergency proclamation Wednesday and discouraged tourists from traveling to Maui, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke (D) said in a morning news conference. “We expected rain, we expected floods,” Luke said. “We never anticipated in this state that a hurricane that did not make impact on our islands would cause these kind of wildfires.” As of early Wednesday local time, authorities said it was too soon to provide an exact number of those wounded. Not all injured suffered burns, officials said. Hundreds of families in Maui have been displaced, said Gov. Josh Green (D). The fires caused mass evacuations, widespread power outages and structural damage on the island. Elements of the Hawaii National Guard have been activated, and helicopters are searching for those left behind in areas without power and accessible roads. 12:47 AM: Maui resident: Flames are swiftly ‘spreading across acres’ As Chad Kistler sat on his porch Wednesday afternoon, he saw a massive column of ash and smoke suddenly rise into the air near the center of Maui. The usually lush and green views from Kistler’s home were now supplanted by roaring flames and thick smog, he said. “I can see multiple fires going all at once,” he told The Post by phone. “It’s surreal. It’s spreading across acres like nothing.” The nearest wildfire was still some four miles away from his house on the slopes of the Haleakala, in eastern Maui. Still, over the past two days, Kistler said a burnt smell has emanated throughout the island. The hurricane winds fueling the flames have been “crazy,” knocking down street lamps and tsunami sirens “like they’re twigs,” he said. Kistler also said he lost power and saw a frenzy of emergency helicopters flying across the sky. For now, the 37-year-old business owner is safe — though his car is packed with personal belonging in case he needs to run out with his wife and three cats, he said. But on the other side of the island, several of Kistler’s friends have been forced to evacuate. And some who live near Lahaina have already lost their homes and businesses, he added. “Everybody’s on these group chats and messages keep popping up saying, ‘I’m okay, but our home is gone,’” he said. “It’s incredibly sad.” In the 13 years he has lived in Maui, “there’s never been anything like this — not even close,” he said. And he frets about what it will take to recover an island known for its paradisiacal beaches and rich history. “I think there’s a tendency to think of Hawaii and Maui as this vacation wonderland or something like that,” he said. “And it’s just important for people to know that we live here and this is our home. We’re going to need help in rebuilding.” By: María Luisa Paúl 12:21 AM: 5 people being treated at Maui hospital; 2 critically injured At least five patients, including two with critical injuries, were being treated at the Maui Memorial Medical Center, the hospital said in a statement Wednesday. The hospital said that it has been treating patients for burns, smoke inhalation and other fire-related injuries, and that it is prepared to “activate a surge plan” to cope with a potential spike in the demand for medical services. Seven patients were also transferred to Oahu for “specialty services” since Tuesday night, the hospital said, and all other patients have been treated and released. 11:27 PM: Travelers urged to postpone nonessential visits The Hawaii Tourism Authority is urging visitors to leave Maui if they are on nonessential travel and also encouraged others to postpone any nonessential visits planned for “the coming weeks,” according to a news release. “In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the release stated. It added that “devastating wildfires” have led to road closures and have forced thousands to evacuate affected areas. Kahului Airport, the main airport in Maui, remains open. Travel to Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and Lanai remains unaffected, the release stated. By: Lyric Li 10:59 PM: Analysis from Kelsey Ables, Reporter in the Seoul hub Two new brush fires have erupted in Kaʻū, the southernmost district on Hawaii Island, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon. The fires appeared in the areas of Nāʻālehu and Pāhala, he said, adding that “emergency crews are responding swiftly.” The post also included the locations of evacuation centers. 10:34 PM: Aerial views of Lahaina show extent of damage in Maui In photos: The scene as deadly wildfires devastate parts of Hawaii Photos show rows of houses in Lahaina, a popular tourist town in Maui, smoldering after wildfires appeared to burn entire blocks. 10:06 PM: Analysis from Lyric Li All but one of Maui’s public schools were closed Wednesday because of the ongoing wildfires and evacuations on the island, the state’s Education Department said. The Maui District Office was also closed Wednesday, while Maui High School has been designated an evacuation shelter. 8:57 PM: Analysis from Ben Brasch, General Assignment reporter Residents are under a mandatory “no burn” rule in Maui “until further notice,” the state’s health department said on social media Wednesday. “No burn means agricultural burning or conditionally allowed open burning is prohibited during this time,” state officials wrote. 8:55 PM: Analysis from Ben Brasch, General Assignment reporter The Maui Humane Society has issued an “SOS foster” plea for help. “We need to get animals OUT of the shelter to make space!” they wrote on social media. The organization is looking for food, litter and pop-up kennels that will be handed out to the community. And, of course, monetary donations to fund “lifesaving medical procedures,” they wrote. 8:46 PM: Analysis from Ben Brasch, General Assignment reporter The University of Hawaii Maui College is preparing hot meals for the thousands of people in shelters, said University of Hawaii System President David Lassner. “It has been a sad and difficult day for all of us as we awakened to see the heartbreaking images and learned of the tragic impacts of the devastating wildfires,” he wrote. 8:45 PM: Analysis from Ben Brasch, General Assignment reporter As of about noon local time, about 12,400 customers remained offline in West Maui, according to a Hawaiian Electric news release. Additional crews from Oahu have been deployed to help. “We are all hands on deck in supporting and responding to Maui communities affected by the outages, active wildfires and sustained high wind damage,” said utility spokeswoman Shayna Decker. 8:24 PM: Analysis from Anumita Kaur, Staff writer, general assignment desk “We don’t know what actually ignited the fires. But we were made aware in advance from the National Weather Service that we’re in a red flag situation,” said Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, who leads the Hawaii National Guard. Three factors set the stage for fire risks: months of drought, low humidity and high winds. 8:21 PM: High winds expected to continue but will drop off some, meteorologist says Winds that had surged above 60 mph Tuesday were slackening Wednesday, said Ian Morrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. They were forecast to calm enough for the NWS to discontinue “red flag” fire weather warnings by Thursday, he added. But even under normal weather patterns, he said, winds are expected to gust up to 40 mph. “The winds aren’t going to drop off, but we’ll be out of those critical fire weather parameters,” Morrison said. Unfortunately, no significant rain is expected to ease drought conditions until the wet season begins in the fall. Areas of severe drought, now covering about 5 percent of Maui County and 1 percent of the entire state, are likely to expand, Morrison said. By: Scott Dance 8:17 PM: Coast Guard saved people fleeing into ocean to escape fire, officials say Some people escaped the destructive flames by fleeing into the ocean, according to Maui County officials. Thankfully, the Coast Guard was nearby. “The Coast Guard has been responding to impacted areas where residents are entering the ocean due to smoke and fire conditions,” county officials said. “Individuals were transported by the Coast Guard to safe areas.” By: Ben Brasch 7:55 PM: Hawaii lacks wildfire preparedness, according to experts Hawaiian communities and ecosystems have not faced significant wildfire threats in the past, so the state lacks preparedness to prevent fires and limit their impact, said Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization. That includes work to harden homes so they’re more resistant to embers catching fire, and to manage plant growth that fuels fires. “It’s just kind of a nightmare recipe,” Pickett said. Unlike in the western United States, Hawaii’s forests are not adapted to wildfires, Pickett said. So forests that are burned typically don’t grow back, she added. Eventual rains can also wash debris into the oceans, smothering corals and ruining water quality. A similar outbreak of fires occurred in 2018, when Hurricane Lane struck the islands. It dumped some 17 inches of rainfall on the Big Island and caused landslides, but also fanned fires on Maui and Oahu that burned about 3,000 acres, destroyed 21 structures and required a hurricane shelter to be relocated. Pickett said the incidents demonstrate there needs to be more attention and resources paid to reducing wildfire risks in Hawaii. “This is not a one-off,” she said. “We have big fires in Hawaii.” By: Scott Dance 7:41 PM: Analysis from Anumita Kaur, Staff writer, general assignment desk “Lahaina Town on Maui is almost totally burnt to the ground,” Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz (D) said on social media Wednesday. “Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control, and our first responders are in search and rescue mode.” Schatz also shared a link to the Hawai’i Community Foundation for donations. 7:36 PM: FEMA grants funds amid mandatory evacuations for 7,500 people Federal Emergency Management Agency funds were unlocked Wednesday to help Hawaii combat the Lahaina Fire on Maui. Hawaii officials issued mandatory evacuations for approximately 7,500 people, according to a FEMA statement. The fire also threatens local businesses, electrical lines and telecommunications in the area, the agency added. FEMA’s grant provides federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs, according to the agency. The funds can also cover costs associated with field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire, FEMA said. By: Kyle Rempfer 7:15 PM: Biden offers ‘deepest condolences’ to families, orders federal help President Biden and first lady Jill Biden sent their “deepest condolences” to grieving families on Hawaii and said “our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed,” according to a statement Wednesday. Biden wrote that he has ordered “all available federal assets on the Islands” to help: The Hawaiian National Guard has mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression and search-and-rescue efforts on Maui. The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleet are helping response and rescue efforts. The U.S. Marines’ Black Hawk helicopters are fighting fires on the Big Island. The Department of Transportation is working with commercial airline companies to evacuate tourists from Maui. He added that the Interior and Agriculture departments “stand ready” to help with post-fire recovery efforts. By: Ben Brasch 7:03 PM: Analysis from Kyle Rempfer Hawaii National Guard troops have been activated and are on Maui assisting local police at traffic control points, the state’s adjutant general, Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, said just before midnight Tuesday local time. “This support was accelerated because of the rapidly changing conditions tonight,” Hara said. “More Hawaii Guardsmen will be supporting Maui and Hawaii counties.” 6:31 PM: Analysis from Kyle Rempfer Six people have been confirmed dead as a result of the wildfires, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. Thirteen areas were evacuated, and more than 2,600 customers remain without power. Videos, pictures, and updates at link
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Post by maybetoday on Aug 10, 2023 1:28:02 GMT -5
Wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island kill at least 6 as blazes force people to flee
UPDATED ON: AUGUST 10, 2023 / 1:15 AM / CBS/AP (Lots of pictures at the link below) At least six people were killed on the Hawaiian island of Maui as wind-fueled wildfires tore through the area, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. announced. Hundreds of buildings have also been damaged or destroyed. "We are still in a search and rescue mode, and so I don't know what will happen to that number," Bissen said. The mayor didn't provide details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, saying the death toll was confirmed just before a news conference with officials. He said several other people were unaccounted for but may be people who are in vehicles who haven't gone into a shelter. Over 2,100 people are using the five shelters that have been opened on the island, and some of them — along with a number of hotels — lost power, Bissen said. Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke told reporters that some shelters were "overrun" and tourists, who were still arriving on Maui Wednesday morning, were discouraged from going to the island. "This is not a safe place to be," Luke said. "... We have resources that are being taxed." The blazes drove people to jump into a harbor to escape flames and smoke and forced people to evacuate Wednesday, authorities said. The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people in the town of Lahaina who turned to its harbor as refuge Tuesday and all were in stable condition. Officials said Wednesday that hospitals on the island were treating burn patients. Fire was widespread in Lahaina, a tourist town with a population of 12,000 on the northwestern tip of Maui. Maui county officials reported Wednesday afternoon that at least 271 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the wildfires in Lahaina. "Widespread damage to the West Maui town, the harbor and surrounding areas are being documented," the county said in a statement. Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling and was expected to be back in the state Wednesday night, said in a statement that much of the town "has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced." Maui County tweeted that multiple roads were closed with a warning: "Do NOT go to Lahaina town." Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate and officials asked people who weren't in an evacuation area to shelter in place to avoid adding to the traffic, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin told the Associated Press in a phone interview early Wednesday. Officials issued an island-wide request Wednesday morning for people to conserve water to reduce demand and extend existing supplies as firefighters battled the blazes. Photos posted by the county overnight showed a line of flames blazing across an intersection and leaping above buildings in the town center that dates to the 1700s and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Six patients were flown from Maui to the island of Oahu on Tuesday night, said Speedy Bailey, regional director for Hawaii Life Flight, an air-ambulance company. Three of them had critical burns and were taken to Straub Medical Center's burn unit, he said. The others were taken to other Honolulu hospitals. At least 20 patients were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, he said. He had not heard of any deaths. Authorities said earlier Wednesday that a firefighter in Maui was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke. Luke had told CNN that the hospital system on the island "was overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalation." "The reality is that we need to fly people out of Maui to give them burn support," Luke said. "911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down. And that's been part of the problem," she said. Luke, the state's lieutenant governor, issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Green and activated the Hawaii National Guard. Luke issued another proclamation Wednesday afternoon strongly discouraging all nonessential travel to Maui. The proclamation also gives Hawaii's emergency management agency the authority to order mandatory evacuations of civilian populations. Kahului Airport, the main airport in Maui, was sheltering 2,000 travelers whose flights were canceled or who recently arrived on the island, the county said. Front Street, a shopping and dining area of Lahaina popular with tourists, was badly hit by the flames. "Buildings on both sides were engulfed," Front Street business owner Alan Dickar told CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV. "There were no fire trucks at that point; I think the fire department was overwhelmed." He told CBS News' Patrick Torphy, "Maui can't handle this. ... A lot of people just lost their jobs because a lot of businesses burned. A lot of people lost their homes. ... This is going to be devastating for Maui." Flames from a wildfire as seen tearing through businesses in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 8, 2023. Some people jumped into the harbor to escape the flames, authorities said. The wildfire in Lahaina was one of many in Hawaii fanned by strong winds that burned multiple structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities as firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by downed trees and power lines. Some people reported having trouble evacuating due to gridlock, smoke and encroaching flames. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles, was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph that knocked out power as night fell, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters. Dangerous fire conditions created by strong winds and low humidity were expected to last through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said Dora was a Category 4 hurricane as of late Wednesday morning. "I have ordered all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response," President Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening. "The Hawaiian National Guard has mobilized Chinook Helicopters to help with fire suppression and search and rescue on the Island of Maui. The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleets are supporting response and rescue efforts. The U.S. Marines are providing Black Hawk Helicopters to fight the fires on the Big Island. The Department of Transportation is working with commercial airlines to evacuate tourists from Maui, and the Department of the Interior and the United States Department of Agriculture stand ready to support post fire recovery efforts." In Lahaina, a honeymooner made an unlikely request on social media: Any one on Twitter have a connection for a place to stay on Maui? My wife & I are on our honeymoon & our Kaanapali Hotel is being affected by the Lahaina fire. All of our stuff is still at the hotel. We are good for tonight but not sure going forward! — Zach Ruebesam (@coach_Rueb) August 9, 2023 "This is so unprecedented," Martin said, noting that multiple districts were affected. An emergency in the night is terrifying, she said, and the darkness makes it hard to gauge the extent of the damage. Noting the rise in donations and fundraising to help victims of the wildfires, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez warned against "bad actors who try to take advantage of people's goodwill." Lopez urged people to donate to trusted, well-known charities and verify that recipients of donations are legitimate. Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, told CBS News that the state's fire issues have been "increasing over the last couple of decades, and our policies, our infrastructure, our preparedness, none of that has caught up with the level of threat that we face." Pickett said the increasing frequency of droughts, hurricanes, invasive species of plant life and human behavior have all contributed to this rising threat. "We have invasive species that have come into our island archipelago that cover now 26% of our state," she said. "And so we have these invasive, fire-loving, very highly ignitable grasses that have invaded our landscape. ...And then we have human behaviors that aren't quite as fire aware as they are in other fire-prone locations — it's just a recipe for more and more wildfires." The fires weren't only raging on Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a disaster declaration to provide assistance with a fire that threatened about 200 homes in and around Kohala Ranch, a rural community with a population of more than 500 on the Big Island, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. When the request was made, the fire had burned more than 600 acres and was uncontained. Much of Hawaii was under a red flag warning that continued Wednesday, and two other uncontrolled fires were burning on the Big Island and Maui, officials said. Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple blazes concentrated in two areas: the popular tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region. In West Maui 911 service was not available and residents were directed to call the police department. Because of the wind gusts, helicopters weren't able to dump water on the fires from the sky — or gauge more precise fire sizes — and firefighters were encountering roads blocked by downed trees and power lines as they worked the inland fires, Martin said. More than 12,500 customers in Hawaii were without power Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. "It's definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it's multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas," Martin said. Winds were recorded at 80 mph in inland Maui and one fire that was believed to be contained earlier Tuesday flared up hours later with the big winds, she added. "The fire can be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house," Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said. Hurricane Dora was complicating matters for firefighters in an already dry season. Hawaii is sandwiched between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system associated with Dora, explained Jeff Powell, a meteorologist in Honolulu. The dryness and the gusts "make a dangerous fire situation so that fires that do exist can spread out of control very rapidly," he said. "It's kind of because of Hurricane Dora, but it's not a direct result," he said, calling the fires a "peripheral result" of the hurricane's winds. In the Kula area of Maui, at least two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1,100 acres, Bissen said. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said. Upcountry Maui resident Caroline Lebrec was among those forced to evacuate and told KGMB-TV she could see flames advancing as she headed to an emergency shelter. "There were branches falling down on us, small ones but enough that I sped up," she said. All of Maui's public schools except for one were closed Wednesday, the state Education Department announced. The Red Cross was opening shelters on Maui and the Big Island. "We're trying to protect homes in the community," Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of evacuating about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. As of Tuesday, the roof of one house caught on fire, he said. Fires in Hawaii are unlike many of those burning in the U.S. West. They tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than fires in the U.S. mainland. Fires were rare in Hawaii and on other tropical islands before humans arrived, and native ecosystems evolved without them. This means great environmental damage can occur when fires erupt. For example, fires remove vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rainfall, the rain can carry loose soil into the ocean, where it can smother coral reefs. A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, also was dealing with power outages, downed power lines and traffic problems, said Adam Weintraub, communication director for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. The weather service had a high wind warning and red flag warnings in effect for dangerous fire weather, Powell said. The conditions were expected to decrease throughout the day Wednesday and into Thursday. -Agence France-Presse contributed reporting. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 10, 2023 2:10:41 GMT -5
At least three fires burning on Hawaii's Big Island
Story by Madilynne Medina • 7h Hawaii firefighters are battling at least three brush fires on the Big Island, prompting several evacuations throughout the area, officials said. The Big Island fires come at the same time as wind-driven fires also burn across Maui, which have killed at least six people. The Big Island fires were kicked up by high winds fueled by Hurricane Dora passing south of Hawaii, the National Weather Service said. The fires are burning in north and south Kohala, and in a Wednesday press conference Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said firefighters are still battling all the fires. Roth said as many as five separate fires ignited. The Akoni Pule Fire is burning in the North Kohala District off Akoni Pule Highway, also known as Highway 270, near Kohala Ranch, Hawaii County officials said in a Wednesday morning news release. The fire is roughly 60% contained, Roth said in a Wednesday morning Facebook video. Another fire is in the South Kohala District in Waimea, Hawaii officials said. The South Kohala blaze is in and around the Mauna Kea Beach area as of Wednesday morning, Roth said. Those in the Kohala Ranch area, below Kamakani Loop and North Fairways of the Mauna Kea Resort, a popular tourist destination, have been ordered to evacuate, according to a county notice last updated Wednesday at 4 a.m. HST. People staying at the popular Mauna Kea Beach Hotel are sheltering in place, Roth said. The North Kohala Ranch near Kamakani Loop is still closed and evacuated, according to a hazard map from the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency. Mauna Kea has opened up the North Fairways while the South Fairways remain closed and officials are continuing to evacuate the area. Two evacuation shelters have been opened, one at the Hisaoka Gym in Kapaʻau and one at the Waimea Community Center in Waimea, county officials said. A wind advisory was issued by the National Weather Service for the Kohala area from 3:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. HST on Wednesday. A red flag warning, which refers to expected fire danger due to strong winds and low humidity, also remains in place, the weather service said. The warning extends until 9 p.m. Wednesday for the following areas: Big Island Interior; Central Oahu; Kauai Leeward; Kohala; Kona; Lanai Makai; Lanai Mauka; Leeward Haleakala; Maui Central Valley; Maui Leeward West; Molokai Leeward; Oahu North Shore; Oahu South Shore; Olomana; South Big Island; Waianae Coast; Waianae Mountains. During the Wednesday press conference, Roth said his thoughts are also with the Maui region. “The situation right now should take precedence over us,” he said. link
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Post by Midnight on Aug 10, 2023 3:58:32 GMT -5
2 Billion In Damage! State Of Emergency World In SHOCK! What Just Happened? 2023
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Post by Honoria on Aug 10, 2023 16:46:45 GMT -5
Apocalypse: 36 People Dead in Maui Wildfires – Famous Lahaina Banyan Tree Charred (VIDEO)
By Cristina Laila Aug. 10, 2023 12:30 pm At least 36 people have died in the Maui wildfires. Wildfires in Maui destroyed ‘Front Street’ in historic Lahaina. According to authorities, people jumped into the ocean to escape the fire and smoke. Strong winds fueled the blaze. Eyewitnesses described the scene as ‘apocalyptic.’ WATCH: At least 36 people have died. Lahaina’s famous Banyan tree, the largest in the US with 47 trunks, was charred. Please consider donating to Harvest Church Maui relief fund by clicking here. Donations to Harvest Church will go to: Providing tangible support to the people of Maui with emergency medical care, food, and shelter Helping first responders as they provide needed medical care to those injured by the fires Supporting means for the local church on Maui to reach out to their community with the gospel Distributing spiritual resources and pastoral care for the people of Maui link
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 10, 2023 18:50:31 GMT -5
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 11, 2023 16:05:50 GMT -5
Death Toll from Maui Wildfires Rises to 55, Figure ‘Could Go Up’
An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings on the waterfront burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. At least 36 people have died after a fast-moving wildfire turned Lahaina to ashes, officials said August 9, 2023 …PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images HANNAH BLEAU 11 Aug 2023 The death toll from the devastating wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui island has risen to 55, but officials believe the figure “could go up” as search and rescue operations continue. The disaster claimed the lives of at least 55 people, according to the most recent figures offered noon Eastern Friday. However, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen believes the death toll “could go up.” Eighty percent of the coastal town of Lahaina has been utterly destroyed. Shocking images showcase the extent of the sheer devastation. Gov. Josh Green (D) said it looks as if a “bomb hit Lahaina.” WATCH — Hawaii Rescue & Firefighters’ Effort: Choppers Work to Put Out Hawaii Blaze He told CNN: It looks like total devastation. Buildings that we’ve all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed. I mean smoldering still. Only a few stone buildings are still partially up. Looks to me that about 80 percent of Lahaina is gone. Nearly 11,000 customers are without power in Maui County alone. Lahaina resident May Wedelin Lee is among those expressing gratitude for getting out when she could. “I’m just lucky to get out of there when I did. It’s just the worst scenario possible times ten,” she told NBC News Now. “It’s seeing everything you love, seeing your whole life just go up in flames, literally go up in flames, in front of you.” “It was minutes; it happened so fast. The smoke jumped, the fire jumped, explosions were happening,” she added. WATCH — Footage, Before & After Pictures Show Devastating Hawaii Wildfire On Friday, Gov. Green declared that the damage from the wildfires is “likely the largest natural disaster in Hawai’i state history. Additional videos at link
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 11, 2023 16:09:43 GMT -5
Desperate Hawaiians Beg Billionaire Residents Oprah, Bezos, Larry Ellison for Help as Wildfire Devastates Maui
PAUL BOIS 10 Aug 2023 Local Hawaiians have called upon some of Maui’s resident billionaire class to help them as wildfires devastate areas of the island beyond recognition. Jeff Bezos, Oprah, and Larry Ellison represent some of the biggest names to have homes on the island paradise along with Clint Eastwood, Steven Tyler, and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mack. Since the outbreak of the devastating fire on Tuesday, which has claimed over 50 lives while leaving hundreds homeless, residents have been openly asking for help. Lauren Sanchez, the fiancée of Jeff Bezos, who owns a $78 million property on Maui, issued a statement on her social media in which she called the tragedy “heartbreaking” while thanking people for helping out in the recovery efforts. “The tragedy unfolding in Maui is beyond heartbreaking. Jeff and I have been on the phone with local residents and officials, and will be making donations to help. Thank you to everyone there helping with recovery efforts on the ground and supporting those who are struggling,” she said. A source close to Bezos and Sanchez later told the Daily Mail that the couple is “devastated” by the disaster and plans to step up relief efforts with local officials. “They have been on the phone with locals and local officials since yesterday. They will be making donations to help the community,” the source said. Oprah, who owns 2,000 acres of land on Maui and has been living there part-time for 15 years, has not yet issued a statement as to how she plans to help the locals damaged by the fire. As the New York Post reported, Oprah owns three properties on the island as fires currently threaten her ranch in Kula. “This past February, she paid $6.6 million for 870 acres of land in Kula, an area in central Maui sandwiched between the South Maui and Upcountry wildfires,” noted the Post. “At least two homes had been destroyed in Kula and some 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, fire officials told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.” The celebrity most affected by the fire appears to be Mick Fleetwood, who has called the town of Lahaina his home for decades. His local restaurant, Fleetwood’s on Front Street, burned to the ground. “This is a devastating moment for Maui, and many are suffering unimaginable loss,” Fleetwood said. “Fleetwood’s on Front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken, our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members.” “On behalf of myself and my family, I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of Maui,” he said. “We are committed to supporting the community and those affected by this disaster in the days and months and years to come.” Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who owns a home on Maui and owns 98 percent of the nearby Lanai Island, has not yet issued a statement on the matter. Aquaman star Jason Momoa, a native Hawaiian, has repeatedly shared links on his social media accounts about the fundraising efforts. Singer Bette Midler, also a homeowner in Hawaii, has been regularly sharing updates about the relief efforts. https://www.instagram.com/p/CvxpIVOv9F7 link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 12, 2023 1:51:32 GMT -5
Maui Wildfire Continues to Blaze as Death Toll Reaches 67
JORDAN DIXON-HAMILTON 11 Aug 2023 The Maui, Hawaii, death toll increased to 67 on Friday as firefighters continue to battle the blaze, local officials announced. The wildfires began on Tuesday and have destroyed at least 2,000 acres of land, including 80 percent of the Maui town Lahaina, a rich cultural area that was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The death toll hit 55 on Thursday, but an additional 12 people were confirmed dead on Friday afternoon. The Maui wildfire is the deadliest one on U.S. soil since the 2018 Camp Fire in California killed at least 85 people. Gov. Josh Green (D) on Thursday cautioned that the death toll would rise “significantly” in the coming days. More than 11,000 Maui residents were without power as of Thursday. President Joe Biden recently declared a major disaster, opening up federal aid for the impacted areas. As the Associated Press detailed: Associated Press journalists witnessed the devastation, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island. The roosters known to roam Hawaii streets meandered through the ashes of what was left, including an eerie traffic jam of the charred remains of dozens of cars that didn’t make it out of the inferno. 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. Gov. Green said Lahaina looks like “a bomb and fire went off” due to the wildfire’s destruction. Burned cars and destroyed buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023. (Photo by PAULA RAMON/AFP via Getty Images) “When you see the full extent of the destruction in Lahaina, it will shock you. It does appear like a bomb and fire went off, if I may. And all of the buildings virtually are gonna have to be rebuilt. It will be a new Lahaina that Maui builds in its own image, with its own values,” Green said. link
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Post by Midnight on Aug 12, 2023 4:28:04 GMT -5
Hawaii warned of man-made threat years before lethal wildfire, but activists scream 'climate' now
Calls for Biden to declare a federal climate emergency fail to understand what caused the raze to begin with. By Addison Smith Updated: August 10, 2023 - 11:53pm The massive wind-fueled wildfires that killed dozens and scorched Maui to the ground this week are prompting liberal activists to blame climate change and demand President Joe Biden declare a national state of emergency. But a wildfire expert at the University of Hawaii warned years ago that man-made hazards like imported grasses risked such tragedy. Dr. Clay Trauernicht, a Specialist in Wildland Fire Science and Management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, published research and analysis in 2014 with Pacific Fire Exchange that warned humans are largely responsible for “much of the increase in wildfire threat by increasing the abundance of ignitions” and “introducing nonnative, fire-prone grasses and shrubs” to the chain of islands. Trauernicht has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies, and his expertise covers fire ecology, ecosystems, tropical forest and savanna dynamics, and statistical modeling. These grasses and shrubs, Trauernicht wrote “cover nearly one quarter of Hawaii's total land area.” This, coupled with “warming, drying climate and year round fire season, greatly increase the incidence of larger fires.” Forbes quoted him as telling The New York Times that bad forestry practices and a failure to understand bio-diversity are far more culpable for making the islands “incredibly vulnerable.” A study published in 2020 found these unchecked and non-native overgrowth accounted for more than 85% of land razed by a trio of wildfires two years earlier n 2018. But despite this, activists and outlets alike have rushed to blame this week's devastatingly deadly wildfires on a popular villain: climate change. "We need legislation that is as bold and urgent as the scale of the wildfires choking Hawaii," Green New Deal Network’s Kaniela Ing, told Newsweek, without providing any data or studies and simply assuming the so-called climate crisis caused the engulfing flames. "How many more lives lost or families displaced… is President Biden willing to tolerate before he declares a climate emergency and activates politicians to take further climate action?" Ing also blamed "colonial greed" for the fires, adding that "Walking Front Street end-to-end is like a Disneyland ride through the colonial timeline of capitalism in Hawaii: starting from royalty, to whaling, sandalwood, sugar and pineapple, tourism, and luxury goods, the fire is a tragic symbol of this trajectory's terminal point." Current demands for issuing a "climate emergency" ignore that the state of Hawaii already passed legislation declaring a climate emergency in 2021. Outlets like The Guardian, CNBC, and others have echoed the climate change narrative in their reporting on Hawaii, which Trauernicht has suggested is a deceitful narrative. "Blaming this on weather and climate is misleading," Trauernicht tweeted Wednesday. "Hawaii’s fire problem could be far, far more manageable with adequate support, planning, and resources for fuel reduction projects, agricultural land use, and restoration and reforestation around communities and the foot of our forests." He also said Hawaii’s "grasslands accumulate fuels very rapidly" and that this, combined with "hotter" and "drier" bouts, is "only going to exacerbate the problem." Drawing a direct line from climate change to wildfires to has become the latest rush to judgment. This was shown when Canada’s wildfire season ravaged millions upon millions of acres this year, sending smoke across the Canadian border and affecting several states. Climate hysteria produced countless headlines about how the fires were caused by "climate change" but in a normal season, half of Canada's wildfires are started by lightning and the other half are human-caused in various ways from discarded cigarette butts to sparks from passing trains, reported the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. In Alberta, the RCMP charged John Cook in May for a series of arsons, including what they say were intentionally set wildfires going back as far as 2022. That same year, a woman from Kamloops, B.C., was also charged with wildfire arsons. She pled guilty and has yet to be sentenced. The RCMP added that "While the vast majority of these fires have been attributed to naturally occurring sources, such as lightning, the RCMP Forestry Crimes Unit is currently investigating 12 suspicious wildfires (January 1, 2023, to June 12, 2023) where human activity is believed to be a factor.” it said in a media release on June 14. Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Biden suggested climate change was at fault, despite Canada largely neglecting to do proper forest management like controlled burns, removing debris, and more. Yesterday, Biden was asked by a reporter if he was prepared to declare a national climate emergency. He falsely said his administration has "already done that" before clarifying they "practically"—not literally—have. Such a declaration would reportedly grant the president 130 new powers to do everything from ending crude oil exports, offshore oil/gas leasing, and more. Moreover, it’s also feared the declaration would trample free speech, the same way that during the COVID-19 state of emergency, dissent against mainstream lockdown or mask narratives, was largely suppressed. "If you disagree with the climate emergency, [speech] can be shut down," U.S. Oil and Gas Association President Tim Steward said of emergency powers. This hasn’t been enough to quell declaration demands. Last month, a young woman interrupted remarks by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, where she exclaimed that "asking nicely" for Biden to grant their wishes "hasn't worked out." "We need you to act on your campaign promises," she said to Jean-Pierre. "Will the administration stop approving new oil and gas projects and align with youth, science, and frontline communities?" In 2020, Biden promised fossil fuels and fracking would be "eliminated" when he became president. link
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 12, 2023 17:12:09 GMT -5
Death toll in Maui fires rises to 80, with 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed
Story by Amy Graff • 7h Hawaii officials bumped the death toll in the Maui fires up to 80 on Friday. The number was 67 earlier in the day. "I think it's fair to say the mortality rate is going to rise," Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said in a video posted on social media at 4:21 p.m. Friday. A Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator is expected to arrive in Maui Saturday along with a Disaster Mortuary Operational Response team who will start entering structures and continue to count fatalities. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said on NBC’s “Today” show Friday that the death toll is based on bodies that were found outside buildings. “So we have not yet searched in the interior of the buildings,” Bissen said. “We’re waiting for FEMA to help with that search, as they are equipped to handle the hazmat conditions of the buildings that have been burned.” The fire in Lahaina ignited Tuesday and exploded amid powerful hurricane-fueled winds, leveling homes, turning the historic town center into piles of ash and forcing people to jump into the water to escape flames. Initial estimates from the county indicated at least 270 structures were either damaged or destroyed, but on Friday the Pacific Disaster Center put the number at 2,207 with 86% of those structures residential. The center also estimated that 2,170 acres were burned. Schatz said the final damage assessment for the Lahaina area will not be done for about a month but added, "It's likely to be in the billions of dollars." Firefighters continued to battle flare-ups in the Lahaina area on Friday and a fire was reported in Kaanapali, a resort area near Lahaina, on Friday at 6:10 p.m. local time. By 8:30 p.m., the blaze was contained, county officials said. "The fire is in the area where a county fueling station was positioned Friday to distribute an estimated 3,000 gallons of gas and 500 gallons of diesel for an estimated 400 vehicles that were lined up before the operation began," the county said. "No fuel will be distributed Saturday." Video at link
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 12, 2023 17:23:46 GMT -5
‘Glory to God’: Maui Church Remains Standing After Disastrous Wildfires
Maria Lanakila Catholic Church on Waine street is seen untouched in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023. A wildfire that left Lahaina in charred ruins has killed at least 55 people, authorities said on August 10, making it one of the deadliest …PAULA RAMON/AFP via Getty Images AMY FURR 12 Aug 2023 A community in Maui, Hawaii, has been devastated by the recent wildfires, but a local church is now a beacon of hope. Authorities are working to assess the damage the massive blaze left behind, as more than 200 homes, businesses, and historic landmarks have been destroyed, USA Today reported Friday. However, one church was seemingly protected as the flames closed in around it. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, located in downtown Lahaina, is still standing as of Friday, the office of St. Anthony’s parish, which is nearby, confirmed to the newspaper. Msgr. Terrence Watanabe said, “The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing, as is the rectory. The school’s been a little bit affected. They’re still not allowing people to drive into Lahaina.” Video footage shows the church against a backdrop of blue sky. As the camera pans away, the clip shows charred debris strewn across a parking lot and what appears to be smoke rising from the ground: “Wow. Standing up after the Fire. Glory to God,” a social media user commented on the video, while another said, “A miracle, and a testament to God’s Glory. Ave Christus Rex.” Watanabe said it was difficult to say how much damage the church suffered. Although it looks fine from the outside, inspectors may want it torn down if there is significant structural damage on the inside of the building. However, the fact the building is still there has offered locals a glimmer of hope during so much loss. The recent wildfires destroyed approximately 80 percent of the historic town of Lahaina, and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said the town was “gone,” according to Breitbart News. Aerial video footage (at link below) shows the devastated area as smoke rises into the sky: Maria Lanakila was established in 1846, and the stone church seen today was completed in 1873, per the church’s website. “This structure replaced the old adobe building and grass hut chapels that originally served the community of Maria Lanakila,” the site reads. link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Aug 13, 2023 17:44:45 GMT -5
Some very interesting tweets from Maui locals: (Language alert in some) This above woman is clearly a New Ager. She speaks of this happening on 8/8; to New Agers, this is a mystical number. Read about it here: What is the Lion's Gate Portal?Continued in next post.
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Aug 13, 2023 17:52:23 GMT -5
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Post by leilani on Aug 14, 2023 0:57:41 GMT -5
Why Didn't Maui's Emergency Sirens Warn of Deadly Wildfires?
BY RICK MORAN 1:46 PM ON AUGUST 13, 2023 A spokesman for Hawaii’s emergency management agency says that none of the 80 warning sirens placed around the island were activated at any time during the wildfire that has caused massive damage and taken at least 93 lives. The historic city of Lahaina has been all but destroyed, as has much of the western part of the island. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says it isn’t known whether infrastructure damage prevented the sirens from going off. But the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency’s spokesman, Adam Weintraub, confirmed on Saturday that the sirens alone would not have been a sign to evacuate, but for residents to seek more information. He said other alert systems were activated, including emergency alerts that were sent to cellphones and to radio and TV stations, but there were power outages in Lahaina on Tuesday, and many residents said they never got any warnings. Mr. Weintraub said the agency would be cooperating with Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez in the investigation of the response of state and local officials. “The emergency sirens are tested once a month, but they weren’t sounded for some unknown reason to announce these fires,” Robin Ritchie, a long-time Lahaina resident said. “That makes me feel very angry because the lack of warning has definitely caused death.” Ritchie says that two of her friends were saved from the approaching fire only when the smoke alarms in their homes went off. Wall Street Journal: Roughly 2,170 acres burned in the catastrophic blaze that broke out Tuesday and ravaged Lahaina, according to initial assessments from the Pacific Disaster Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. More than 150 FEMA personnel have been deployed to Maui, the agency said Saturday, with assistance from over a dozen other federal agencies and departments. The National Guard has activated 134 troops to help with firefighting. There was a report from a company that monitors power grid activity that a “large fault” was detected on a power line 20 minutes before the wildfire started. It may very well have been a coincidence since residents were reporting power outages all throughout Tuesday. The Lahaina wildfire was one of four that sprang up Tuesday in the region, officials said. It started as an early brush fire that firefighters thought they had under control by 9 a.m. By afternoon, the Lahaina fire had flared again. It became a major blaze that destroyed or damaged thousands of structures, many of which were residential, officials said. Some residents were forced to plunge into the Pacific Ocean in a frantic bid to stay alive. The U.S. Coast Guard said it rescued 17 people from the water. Lori Moore-Merrell, head of the U.S. Fire Administration, said the Lahaina fire burned fast and low. “Heat and wind speed. Those two things are coupled, so you are going to see those things are driving the pace of the fire.” The wildfires were not entirely unexpected. In fact, the state’s electric utility, Hawaii Electric, had for years worried about wildfire risk in the area, going so far as to launch drones. Considering that Maui had a top-of-the-line warning system, the state was ill-prepared for the disaster. Exclusively for our VIPs: Will Biden Declare a Climate Emergency? Here’s an aerial view of the disaster: link
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Post by leilani on Aug 14, 2023 1:10:14 GMT -5
They haven't gone into the buildings that burned yet; no doubt they'll find many, many more bodies. 😢 Some are saying there will are hundreds dead; we may never know the truth in this world. Death Toll From Maui Fire Rises to 89
BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ 1:48 AM ON AUGUST 13, 2023 At least 89 people have died after a wildfire devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui, making it the most deadly wildfire in the United States in over a century. The Associated Press reported: “The new death toll Saturday came as federal emergency workers with axes and cadaver dogs picked through the aftermath of the blaze, marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange X for an initial search and HR when they found human remains. Dogs worked the rubble, and their occasional bark — used to alert their handlers to a possible corpse — echoed over the hot and colorless landscape.” Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii remarked on Saturday that the death toll would rise. “It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced. … We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding,” he said. Green said that at least 2,200 buildings were destroyed in the wildfire, of which 86% were residential. The governor said that the damage would cost the state of Hawaii nearly $6 billion, adding that it would take “an incredible amount of time” to recover from the disaster. Despite the level of damage caused by the wildfire, neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris will be traveling to Maui. “We don’t want to distract from the resources that need to go in to the victims of this tragedy, and of course the needs of the first responders have to be able to focus on that issue and not worry about focusing on us [because] we’re there,” Harris told reporters before boarding Air Force Two for Chicago on Friday, CSPAN reported. “We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground. It is tragic,” Harris said On Thursday, Biden issued a federal disaster declaration for Maui. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 14, 2023 4:19:33 GMT -5
Maui Wildfire Death Toll Reaches 93: Authorities Warn Total Scale of Losses Not Yet Known
SIMON KENT 13 Aug 2023 The death toll from a wildfire that razed a historic Maui town reached 93 late Saturday night as Hawaii authorities warn the effort to find and identify the dead was still in its early stages and the public should brace for more losses. The blaze is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire for over a century as more evacuations are underway in the western area of Kaanapali. The already revised death toll could rise “significantly” Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned as forensic work continues to identify the victims. Hundreds remain unaccounted for while still more fill shelters across Maui after fleeing the fast-moving flames and face the prospect of having no home to return to. “It’s an impossible day,” Green said, AP reports. The fire will “certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced,” he added. More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless. WATCH: National Guard Airlifts Equipment, Firefighters to Maui to Combat Raging Wildfires “We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding.” As Breitbart News reported, the new death toll came as federal emergency workers with axes and cadaver dogs picked through the aftermath of the blaze, marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange X for an initial search and HR when they found human remains. Lahaina, a town of more than 12,000 and former home of the Hawaiian royal family, has been reduced to ruins with its lively hotels and restaurants reduced to ashes, AFP reports. A banyan tree at the center of the community for 150 years has been scarred by the flames but still stands upright, its branches denuded and sooty trunk transformed into an awkward skeleton. WATCH: Evacuations Continue as Death Toll Climbs from Apocalyptic Fires in Hawaii Dogs worked the rubble, and their occasional bark — used to alert their handlers to a possible corpse — echoed over the hot and colorless landscape. The inferno that swept through the centuries-old town of Lahaina on Maui’s west coast four days earlier torched hundreds of homes and turned a lush, tropical area into a moonscape of ash. Videos and photos at link
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Post by schwartzie on Aug 14, 2023 16:33:28 GMT -5
‘Shelters Overwhelmed’ in Maui as Death Toll Reaches 96
WAILUKU, HI - AUGUST 11: Phil Bailey, 65, a dock worker who escaped the deadly wildfire in Lahaina by jumping into the ocean, recovers at an emergency shelter in Wailuku, Hawaii on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (Photo by Tom Hays for The Washington Post via Getty Images)Tom Hays for The Washington Post via Getty HANNAH BLEAU 14 Aug 2023 Shelters are overwhelmed in Maui as recovery efforts are underway following Hawaii’s devastating fires which have claimed the lives of 96 individuals. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) provided a quick update on the recovery efforts in Lahaina on Sunday. FEMA is there with their canines, which are in “search and recovery mode,” which he said will be a lengthy and “painful” process. “So just to brace yourself for that. The county is working with Lahaina town and the National Guard to try to secure the perimeter so that vehicular access can be restored to all of West Maui,” Schatz continued, adding that mobile health units will be deployed on Monday. VIDEO — HEARTBREAKING: More Footage Shows Absolute Devastation of Lahaina, Hawaii But right now, “shelters are overwhelmed,” he said. “So housing is our highest priority, either hotels or local families that have a little space.” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said on Sunday that roughy 1,600 people were in shelters. “The Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked by FEMA to be in charge of the debris removal in Lahaina town and just so we’re clear, that can’t start until search and recovery efforts are totally completed,” Schatz continued in his update, adding that FEMA workers are on the ground to ensure that everyone is enlisted for the programs they are eligible for — a difficult task, given that people still do not have internet access. The senator’s update comes as the death toll nears 100, ticking up to 96 Monday morning. That figure is expected to rise. Just three percent of the affected areas have been searched with cadaver dogs, according to Police Chief John Pelletier. “Three percent. That’s what’s been searched with the dogs. Three percent,” he said. Evacuations Continue as Death Toll Climbs from Apocalyptic Fires in Hawaii. Videos at link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 14, 2023 17:24:24 GMT -5
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Post by maybetoday on Aug 14, 2023 22:35:50 GMT -5
No Photo-Ops This Time: Oprah’s TV Crew Denied Access to Shelter Housing Maui Fire Survivors
By Jim Hᴏft Aug. 14, 2023 7:45 am The wildfires that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui left behind a trail of destruction, impacting countless lives and leaving survivors in need of support and assistance. During this devastating situation, Oprah Winfrey, a part-time resident of Maui who owns some 1,000 acres of land, attempted to ‘exploit’ this incident by visiting a shelter for wildfire survivors. However, her TV camera crew was denied entry on Sunday “out of respect for survivors seeking safety.” Oprah Winfrey, along with a CBS camera crew, arrived at the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku to visit survivors of the wildfires. However, they were turned away at the door due to the shelter’s no-media policy. “Out of respect for those who have come to seek safety and shelter at emergency shelters, our policy remains that no media are given access,” County of Maui said in a statement per Daily Mail. The incident quickly gained attention, with reports suggesting that Oprah had been denied access to the shelter. “Biggest Bed Sheet Sale Ever” At MyPillow — Giza Dreams Sheets At Low, Low Prices The County of Maui issued a statement on social media, clarifying the situation and expressing gratitude to Oprah for abiding by their policy and instructing the media crew to remain outside. The statement read: To clarify, Oprah was able to visit our shelter and we thank her for instructing media journalists and camera crews to remain outside. We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster. Her visit inside of the shelter today was truly heartwarming and we appreciate her understanding of our policy of having no camera crews or reporters accompanying dignitaries and celebrities in our emergency shelters. Mahalo. Despite the County’s policy of not allowing media access to the war memorial shelter, Winfrey was interviewed by the BBC inside the same shelter. The interview took place on Thursday when she was there to hand out supplies to survivors, including essentials such as pillows, diapers, shampoo, and more. What remains unclear is why the BBC was granted permission to record Winfrey at the shelter on Thursday, while the CBS news crew that accompanied her on Sunday morning was turned away. Online users commended the County for standing up against celebrities allegedly “exploiting” the tragic event for publicity stunts. “Thank goodness for this!! We are going through a crisis, Maui doesn’t need to encourage publicity stunts,” one Facebook user wrote. “Those who help do so not looking for recognition but because it’s the right thing to do. Maybe she can learn from the people helping the people.” “Rightfully so. If Oprah wants come that’s great! Put the cameras away and do something out of the goodness of your heart. Not for clout. Do a message after and let people know what you saw and what the need is. ASK people if they wish to be filmed or interviewed outside AFTER. Basic common respect.” “Democrats never let a tragedy go to waste. Always good PR out of the badness & sadness.” “Good on them! this isn’t about “look at me! look at how good I am” real charity doesn’t need a camera crew.” “What is it with celebrities going to tragedy sites with professional camera setup? Are you a journalist? She really passed that trait to her prodigy meghan markle who used tragedy as photo ops.” Earlier this year, the Maui residents were outraged about Oprah buying excessive lands in the area. WATCH: link
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Post by songbird on Aug 15, 2023 22:04:20 GMT -5
Some interesting info here:
[death toll rising] MAUI CAUSE OF FIRE SUSPICIOUS [hawaii digital government summit]
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Post by songbird on Aug 15, 2023 22:54:39 GMT -5
Off the charts evil! 😡🤬😡 Maui Resident Says We Were Winning Against Fires “Until Water Shut Off” (Video)
By Anthony Scott Aug. 15, 2023 5:00 pm A Maui resident has told several news outlets “the water shut off” while he and other members of the Maui community were battling fires. Ross Hart, a resident of Maui, stated while he was battling fires with his hose alongside neighbors and firefighters, the water shut off. Hart told the New York Times, “You can’t fight fire when you don’t have water… Just throwing dirt on it doesn’t cut it.” WATCH: Another video of Ross Hart by the New York Times: Firefighter Keahi Ho, who was battling the deadly fire in Lahaina, offered a similar story and stated, “There was just no water in the hydrants.” Per The New York Times: During the frantic moments on Tuesday after a wildfire jumped containment near a residential neighborhood in Lahaina, Hawaii, firefighters rushing to slow the spread were distressed to find that their hydrants were starting to run dry. Hoping to control the blaze as it took root among homes along the hillside nearly a mile above the center of town, fire crews encountered water pressure that was increasingly feeble, with the wind turning the streams into mist. Then, as the inferno stoked by hurricane-force gusts grew, roaring further toward the historic center of town on the island of Maui, the hydrants sputtered and became largely useless. “There was just no water in the hydrants,” said Keahi Ho, one of the firefighters who was on duty in Lahaina. Across the island in Kula, which has a water system separate from Lahaina’s, 16 structures were destroyed. Ross Hart, one of the homeowners whose property was leveled, said he and others fought their fire for hours, sometimes alone with hoses, other times with the aid of firefighters. But he said that as the night wore on, there was no water in the hoses. On Sunday, Democratic congresswoman Jill Tokuda revealed Hawaii’s world-renowned alarm system didn’t even sound off. link
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Post by songbird on Aug 15, 2023 23:01:33 GMT -5
How Convenient: Hawaii Governor Reveals State Plans “to Acquire Land” Ravaged by Wildfires (VIDEO)
By Jim Hᴏft Aug. 15, 2023 1:10 pm On Monday, Hawaii’s Democrat Governor Josh Green announced that his administration is actively considering acquiring properties in Lahaina that have been devastated by recent wildfires. A total of 99 deaths were recorded as a result of the wildfires that occurred in Maui. Concerns have been raised among officials regarding the potential increase in the death toll, as just 25% of the burn area has been searched thus far. Local residents are grappling with not only the loss of homes and loved ones but the unsettling attention of developers looking to capitalize on their tragedy. USA Today reported a particularly distressing account of Tammy Kaililaau, whose home of 20 years was reduced to ashes. Hot Summer Deals On The Gateway Pundit Discounts Page At MyPillow — Use Promo Code TGP For Up To 80% Off! Less than a week after the catastrophic event, she received a Facebook message from someone in real estate. Kaililaau, along with other residents, had been warned via social media that developers might try to buy their land, so she ignored the message. John Dimuro, a resident on the island for more than 40 years and an employee for Marriott in West Maui, summed up the local sentiment against large corporations or wealthy individuals buying up the land. “The government should just say ‘no, you’re not allowed to develop,'” he said on Monday. “Say no, just flat out no.” Governor Green vowed to “protect” the land from foreign buyers looking to exploit the situation, The Post Millenial reported. Governor Green expressed his determination to prevent this tragedy from becoming a mere memory or a chance for foreign investors to capitalize on the misfortune of others. “I’m already thinking of ways for the state to acquire that land so that we can put it into workforce housing, to put it back into families, or make it open spaces in perpetuity as a memorial to the people who were lost,” Green said. “We want this to be something we remember after the pain passes as a magic place. Lahaina will rebuild. The tragedy right now is the loss of life. The buildings can be rebuilt over time, even the banyan tree may survive, but we don’t want this to become a clear space where then people from overseas just come and decide they’re gonna take it. The state will take it and preserve it first.” In another press conference, Governor Green elaborated on the potential legal actions that are under consideration. “So I’ve actually reached out to our Attorney General to explore options to do a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed,” he said. “Moreover, I would caution people that it’s going to be a very long time before any growth or housing can be built. And so you will be pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here. In discussions last night amongst colleagues of mine, people I trust, we’re hopeful to create a memorial for the people in the state of Hawaii in this site,” he added. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 16, 2023 16:57:10 GMT -5
John Podesta Blames Climate Change for Maui Fire, Touts Inflation Reduction Act as Solution
JOEL B. POLLAK 16 Aug 2023 John Podesta, the Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, took to the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday to blame climate change for the Maui wildfire and to tout the Inflation Reduction Act. Claiming that the summer had brought “one climate disaster after another,” Podesta connected hot temperatures to the fires in Maui, though there is no direct evidence linking climate change to the disaster. The biggest environmental factor — as the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported — was the spread of invasive alien grass species, which are more flammable than the indigenous vegetation of Hawaii, and which used a recent wet winter to grow rapidly, providing even more fuel for the flames. Podesta then claimed: “To stop these disasters from getting even worse, we have to cut the carbon pollution that is driving the climate crisis, and that’s what the Inflation Reduction Act is all about.” President Joe Biden recently admitted to donors that the “Inflation Reduction Act” was misnamed, and that it was really about subsidizing and funding “climate change” spending. Asked later in the briefing about prominent failures of “green” companies, Podesta ascribed that to the natural failure rate of any kind of investment. He did not address the administration’s role in Proterra, an electric bus company that failed last week. Podesta, who was President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, is a well-known left-wing activist and Democratic staffer, responsible for helping to build and maintain a network of left-wing institutions. He also chaired Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Podesta spoke as the death toll in Maui continued to rise, and reports emerged warning that hundreds of children might be dead. The proximate cause of the Maui fire is unknown, though exposed power lines in high winds are thought to be a possible factor. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 16, 2023 17:00:25 GMT -5
Lahaina Wildfire Victim: ‘If You Stopped, You Were Dead’
HANNAH BLEAU 16 Aug 202317 A Lahaina man who survived the devastating wildfire recalled his escape, remarking, “If you stopped, you were dead.” Dave Vogt, owner of Parasail, is among countless individuals who were affected by the devastating wildfires across Maui County. “Everything was blowing up. Everything. Every five seconds you hear, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!'” he told People, surmising that the explosions were from gas tanks in vehicles ablaze in the roads. “If you stopped, you were dead,” Vogt said, describing the harrowing scene. VIDEO — “Gut-Wrenching”: Burned-Out Cars Line Streets as Residents Survey the Ruins of Lahaina, Hawaii He said he went to the local Safeway with his family to grab supplies before he realized the extent of the emergency. “Something didn’t feel right, so I told her [his wife] to get out of the store,” Vogt said. “All of a sudden, power lines came crashing down. But no sign of fire yet. I have a big truck. We jumped the curb, went up the hill and just [tried] to get out of Dodge.” Smoke gathered, and he dropped his family off five miles from the town to try to move boats from the harbor, jumped on a bike, and rode out of there. “It was hot, just like a torch, and the wind was so strong and swirling and the glow kept getting bigger and bigger, pushing down towards us,” he said. “The fire jumped Front Street and jumped into the harbor.” “Animals were dead in the street, people were trying to get out,” he continued. “There was no opportunity to give a warning. It was faster than anyone could have pushed a warning button, it was windy and then the fire started and it went fast.” VIDEO — HOLD ON HOPE: Rescue Efforts Continue in Scorched Ruins of Lahaina, Hawaii Vogt added that some individuals were essentially stuck in their cars, fearing the flames encompassing them. According to People: When Vogt returned on Wednesday, he surveyed the damage of an aluminum boat he [sic] had completely melted in the intense heat, burned out cars, boats smoldering in the harbor – and bodies on the seawall. According to other reports, some locals fled to the ocean to escape the blaze. “That whole front street and that whole area just burned down, and people ran into the water; they were jumping into the ocean; they were paddling out to sea,” Dr. Reza Danesh said during a Friday appearance on TODAY. Dr. Reza Danesh, an emergency room doctor who jumped into action to treat survivors of the devastating wildfire in Hawaii, shares what he encountered, what patients are most in need of and the challenges the community is facing. pic.twitter.com/8PQ8LzzamU — TODAY (@todayshow) August 11, 2023 Vogt’s recollection comes as the death toll continues to increase, reaching 106 as of late Tuesday. That figure is expected to rise, as Police Chief John Pelletier revealed over the weekend that cadaver dogs — at that point — had only searched three percent of the affected areas and that the individuals they are finding remain John and Jane Does. VIDEO — AWFUL… Drone Footage Shows Scope of Devastating Hawaii Fire Videos at link
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