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Editor’s Note: Many thanks to reader C. for sending in this share! 🌹
Urgent care clinics in Lahaina can’t treat patients, say their structures are either damaged or destroyed
Cliff Alakai, an administrator at Maui Medical Group, said he learned on Facebook that the group’s Lahaina urgent care facility was damaged.
“One of our IT people found a picture and put a circle around our clinic. It’s a two-story clinic. It looks like the second floor is heavily damaged,” Alakai said.
Alakai said Maui Medical Group operates four additional outpatient clinics outside Lahaina that are open to patients, but many Lahaina residents are hesitant to leave the area because road closures would prevent them from returning home, he said. Employees who live in Lahaina have called out of work, but so far appear to be safe, he added.
“Our employees who live out there are calling to say, ‘Yeah, we’re all right. Our house burned down, but we’re fine. We got out in time,’” Alakai said.
Justin Prouty, owner of Minit Medical Urgent Care, said he assumes his Lahaina facility is no longer standing.
“All reports coming out of Lahaina are super sketchy right now. There’s just no news there, no cell service so nobody can get any information. It sounds like a couple of our employees have lost their homes,” Prouty said. “I’ve had reports that places around our clinic are burned to the ground, so my guess is our clinic is too.”
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Avoid non-essential travel to Maui, officials urge
With wildfires continuing to rage, Hawaii officials urged both residents and tourists to avoid all non-essential travel to Maui.
There were at least 2,000 people at the airport overnight either attempting to leave or waiting for new flights to come in, according to Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen.
“We made sure that we process them through this morning. We were working with our airline partners on all of that,” Sniffen said. “There’s another 4,000 visitors that we’re expecting who want to leave the island from the west side.”
Sniffen also noted that traffic on the highways will be congested as people are evacuated and certain areas of the island remain inaccessible.
Luke also discouraged tourism to Maui as authorities struggle to contain the wildfires.
“This is not a safe place to be in certain parts of Maui,” Luke said. “We have shelters that are overrun. We have resources that are being taxed.”
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‘Focus right now is to save lives and preserve lives’
Maui officials say that it’s “impossible” at this point to quantify the structural damage from the deadly fires.
“Our main focus right now is to save lives and preserve lives,” Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. said.
FEMA will assist with property assessments, Luke said.
2h ago / 1:19 PM PDT
6 deaths confirmed in Maui, mayor says
At least six people have died in the wildfires, and search-and-rescue efforts continue, Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. said.
Bissen said he’s unsure of how that number might change as authorities continue to battle the flames.
“There were a lot of people putting things out on social media; we have not had a chance to yet to confirm any of that,” he said. “We are still in that phase of gathering information.”
More than 2,100 people have been housed in shelters.
Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said no fatalities had been confirmed in his county.
Maui mayor confirms six fatalities in wildfires
Burn patients flown to Honolulu
Several burn patients from Maui were being treated at Straub Medical Center, the hospital said in a statement. The facility has the only specialized burn unit in Hawaii.
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department transported one woman in her 60s from Maui to the burn center, agency spokesperson Shayne Enright said. The woman was in critical condition.
The department has also received reports of multiple patients being flown from Maui to Honolulu, she said.
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Maui issues water conservation advisory
Maui’s water department is asking consumers across the island to conserve water to reduce demand and extend existing supplies.
“The Department of Water Supply urges all residents and visitors to please be mindful of their water use and especially reduce outdoor water use,” it said in a statement. “The Water Department is working diligently to ensure our resources are used as efficiently as possible and we need the community to do their part.”
Customers are asked to not wash cars, sidewalks or driveways, or irrigate lawns until further notice.
4h ago / 11:49 AM PDT
Maui resident describes ‘terrifying’ wildfire in Lahaina
4h ago / 11:49 AM PDT
Hawaii governor says he expects ‘some loss of life’ in wildfire catastrophe
Marlene Lenthang
Green said Wednesday he anticipates there will be casualties as a result of the wind-fueled wildfires scorching the islands.
“Heroic efforts by first responders have prevented many casualties from occurring, but some loss of life is expected,” he said in a statement.
Green called the severe weather a “terrible disaster,” noting the wildfires have “spread widely” because of Dora’s winds and the region already had underlying drought conditions.
“Much of Lāhainā on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced,” he said.
Green said he anticipates submitting a request for a presidential disaster declaration in the next 36 to 48 hours once the damage extent is assessed.
He had been on personal travel until Aug. 15 but will return to the islands Wednesday night to respond to the crisis.
‘Loss of life’ expected in Hawaii wildfire, Gov. Green says
4h ago / 11:35 AM PDT
Hawaii officials to hold news conference on wildfire
Marlene Lenthang
Hawaii state officials will host a briefing on the wildfires and the impact of Dora at 10 a.m. local time (4 p.m. ET) Wednesday.
Luke, who is serving as acting governor because Green is traveling, will speak, along with the Hawaii County and Maui County mayors.
4h ago / 11:20 AM PDT
Emergency proclamation issued for Maui air travel
Marlene Lenthang
Luke issued an emergency proclamation Wednesday to extend the state of emergency to all counties and to discourage “non-essential air travel to Maui.”
The proclamation cited ongoing wildfires in Hawaii, fanned by Dora’s winds.
“This is an unprecedented disaster as an indirect result of Hurricane Dora passing just south of our islands,” Luke said. “It is truly devastating and my heart goes out to the residents of Maui and all those impacted.”
The proclamation discouraging travel will allow the state to “prioritize our scarce resources for Maui residents who desperately need assistance,” she said.
Under the proclamation, visitors to West Maui are encouraged to depart the island as soon and as safely as possible.
Wednesday’s announcement follows Tuesday’s initial emergency proclamation authorizing the activation of the National Guard and authorizing state general revenue funds to be used for relief.
5h ago / 11:02 AM PDT
It has already been a devastating year for extreme weather
It may be days or weeks before the full extent of damage from the wildfires in Hawaii is known, but the blazes add to what has already been a devastating year of weather and climate disasters.
A report released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that there were more billion-dollar disasters in the first seven months of 2023 than in any year since 1980, when the agency began tracking these events.
Scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information said there have been 15 extreme weather events so far this year that each caused at least $1 billion in damage. These included severe storms, tornado outbreaks, hail, one flooding event and one winter storm.
NOAA said these climate and weather disasters caused 113 direct and indirect fatalities and resulted in more than $39.7 billion in damage from January through July.
5h ago / 10:41 AM PDT
Hawaiian Airlines offers refunds because of wildfires
Marlene Lenthang
Hawaiian Airlines tweeted early Wednesday that it will allow passengers to get refunds or change their travel dates because of ongoing wildfires.
The airline cited the emergency order in Maui County and the fact that “non-essential travel is being strongly discouraged.”
“We have a travel waiver in place and will allow you to receive a refund or change travel to a future date without penalty,” the airline said.
5h ago / 10:18 AM PDT
Kihei in Maui is ‘clear’ and residents can return, officials say
Marlene Lenthang
Kihei, a census-designated area, is “clear” and residents can return home, Maui County said in an update at 6 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET).
Officials also said residents on Ohukai Road can return home, adding the fire in that area is “not a threat.”
However, Lahaina officers were evacuating residents in Launiupoko Estates and Punakea Loop.
Rose Rambles... 