Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke said the flames “wiped out communities,” and she urged travelers to stay away.
Maui officials urged visitors to leave Lahaina, and the island was organizing a “mass bus evacuation” Wednesday afternoon to take people directly to the airport, according to an update from the county.The exact cause of the blaze couldn’t be determined, but a number of factors, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation, likely contributed, said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for Hawaii State Department of Defense.
“It was apocalyptic from what they explained,” Tiare Lawrence said of 14 cousins and uncles who fled the town and took refuge at her home in Pukalani, east of Lahaina. In the Upcountry community of Kula, at least two homes were destroyed Tuesday in a fire that engulfed about 1.7 square miles, County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
The Coast Guard on Tuesday rescued 14 people, including two children, who had fled into the ocean to escape the fire and smoky conditions, the county said in a statement. Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard to assist.
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