Hawaii wildfires death toll increases to 36, Maui officials say

The fires tore through the popular vacation town of Lahaina, in Maui County, which Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke (D) said was “decimated.” Satellite photographs show an entire community burned to the ground with blocks of charred remains where hundreds of homes and shops once stood.

Luke described the devastation as a “tragic moment for the entire state” and said the recovery operation will take years.

The fires prompted mass evacuations, created widespread power outages and forced schools to close.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 14 people from waters off Lahaina, after they were forced into the sea by fast-approaching flames. Photographs showed the blaze burning right up to the waterfront, as flames illuminated the billowing plumes of smoke.

Fire risks on the Hawaiian islands were exacerbated by months of drought and weather patterns that allowed the blazes to spread faster than anticipated.

Source: Washington Post