UPDATED: At least six people have died in fires in Maui, according to state and local officials in Hawaii. Some injuries have been reported, but officials did not provide a number.
Lahaina, a popular location that many San Diegans visit each year is a scene of devastation and destruction by wind-driven fires.
Some people were forced to jump into the harbor waters to avoid the flames from the massive brush fire that’s destroyed much of the historic area — and continued to burn Wednesday morning.
Crews were continuing to battle fires in Maui and the Big Island, which have been fanned in part by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm. The Coast Guard rescued many residents who had entered the ocean to escape the blazes and smoke.
According to Hawaii News Now, residents said an overwhelmed fire force — fighting flames all day amid powerful winds — could do little as flames ripped through the historic community, destroying dozens of homes and businesses in what onlookers believe is the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history since Hurricane Iniki.
Some tourists spent the night in cars in store parking lots after their hotels were evacuated. Some flights in and out of Hawaii were being delayed.
(Photo Getty Images)
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- The Coast Guard rescued many residents who had entered the ocean to escape the blazes and smoke.