Before and after pictures reveal extent of horrific Hawaii fires as death toll hits 55
Some 270 structures have been damaged or destroyed according to local officials, as people throw themselves into the ocean to escape the inferno ravaging the once picturesque town of Lahaina.
An ancient capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Lahaina’s name reflects its dry, sun-soaked climate – translating from the native language as “cruel sun”.
On Tuesday night, this tinderbox was set alight. Over the following 72 hours, rapidly moving wildfires, fanned by distant hurricane winds, would claim 55 lives and leave 1,000 missing as of Friday. Governor Josh Green warned: "We will continue to see loss of life."
The historic town itself, on Hawaii’s second-largest island of Maui, has been “almost totally burnt to the ground,” according to one of the US state’s senators, Brian Schatz.
James Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said: “Local people have lost everything, they’ve lost their house, they’ve lost their animals.”
Satellite imagery and before and after photos confirm the extent of the devastation.
Only the façade of Koa 156, a Hawaiian seafood restaurant, remains standing (Google Maps, Tiffany Kidder Winn/AP)
As of Friday, firefighters were yet to get three major blazes 100 percent under control, and local authorities had kept the western portion of the island closed to all except emergency workers and evacuees.
According to Ed Sniffen, Deputy Director for Highways of the Hawaii Department of Transportation, some 4,000 tourists were still trying to leave the area.
The Hawaiian archipelago’s mild climate, breathtaking tropical landscape, white sandy beaches and vibrant island culture make it among the US’s most visited states. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people on average visit Maui each month.
Officials claim 80% of Lahaina has been destroyed (Maxar Technologies)
The speed of the advancing flames forced people to abandon their cars (Mapillary, Tiffany Kidder Winn/AP)
The US Coast Guard has said it rescued 14 people from the water, according to Wednesday update.
People have reportedly been throwing themselves into the water to escape the flames.
One resident told local media that every boat in the harbour was burning.
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Among the ashes is a smouldering banyan tree, one of the largest in the US, imported to the island from India in 1873, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Only the walls of the Lahaina Heritage Museum remain, and the hall of Waiola Church was entirely engulfed in flames.
The Baldwin Home Museum, dating back to the 1830s and believed to be the oldest home on the island, has been razed.
The view from a highway intersection just south of town offered only fire on Tuesday night (Google Maps, REX/Shutterstock)
Hawaii has known wildfires before, but never quite like this. They are believed to have burned first in vegetation before swiftly blasting through population centres.
The US National Weather Service said the flames had been fanned by Hurricane Dora, which despite being far away on the north Florida coast brought gusts of over 60 miles per hour.
Authorities say drought and abnormally dry conditions across large parts of the island state also played a role, with climate change partially to blame.
Lahaina United Methodist Church was burnt to the ground (Google Maps, Tiffany Kidder Winn)
Residents were forced to pack what belongings they had left and leave their charred homes behind (Google Maps, REX/Shutterstock)
Governor Green said this is most likely "the largest disaster in state history".
Some 11,000 people remain without power on the western half of the island.
President Joe Biden has declared the fires a major disaster and confirmed the federal government had sent assistance to the state, as US military helicopters were deployed to aid firefighting and search and rescue operations.