Hawaii Inferno: Fires on Front Street

the historic and Scenic Front Street in Lahaina Maui the place to head for eating drinking shopping and people watching but last week within hours it was devoured by Flames the streets once bathed in sunshine now Gray [Music] Front Street is the heart of Lahaina more than 13 000 people live in the town and most of them work here on the main strip we're going to take a deeper look at what was destroyed and how the fires forever changed the lives of those who live and work around the street we'll look at what happened at the school at a famous historical landmark at a rock stars restaurant and a shopping mall a hub for the local community this is the Townes Elementary School 650 children aged between 3 and 11 would come here to learn in this idyllic setting so today is an extra special day for our fifth graders today is their last day as elementary students this was two months ago at the end of year assembly the school has been standing here for more than a hundred years but in just hours it was raised to the ground future generations of school children will be taught about this dark chapter in the Island's history just three minutes walk up the road from the school sits the Banyan tree and Visitor Center a quick search and you'll see it's temporarily closed the Beloved tree covering a whole park has stood at the center of the historic town for more than 150 years it was left scorched and charred beyond recognition images showing its blackened branches and Trunks among the Embers these pictures give a real sense of what happened before and afterwards the tree stays standing for now perhaps a symbol of Hope and endurance amidst so much destruction and despair the fire traveled one mile every minute more than 2 700 structures were destroyed in Lahaina with an estimated value of 5.6 billion dollars from space satellite imagery also emphasizes the extent of the damage this picture shows the Lush Hawaiian island but look what changed last week following the fires what was once green is now Brown I don't even know how to explain it because it's like the it's like a war zone and you're just like you don't even know how to feel we lost everything you know thank God that like we still have each other and we're all alive and safe and accounted for it's like we're the only things we have now because everything that we had in the past Lahaina residents inspect what's left of their homes and neighborhood no Sirens went off nothing nothing we just had to know that ourselves it was fight or flight with no warning whatsoever and it spread in the matter of minutes British rock star Mick Fleetwood who's lived in Hawaii for decades has said the situation in Lahaina is catastrophic the whole town of Lahaina is no more that in itself is a statement that leads you immediately to the people who lived there oh yeah his house was untouched but the popular restaurant he owns has been decimated my losses is is what it is uh I'm certainly gratified that anyone who was connected to that crazy lovely place is alive it's an incredible shot for everyone his business fleetwoods on Front Street was about to celebrate its 11th anniversary this week but it's been destroyed by The Blaze and many of his staff have lost everything that town will be rebuilt one way or another but it's not now what's being rebuilt is is bringing people into a safety zone to alleviate extreme shock and tragedy and loss like Mick Fleetwood so many others have lost their businesses just behind his restaurant stood vintage European posters owned by Alan dickhar he shot this video a bit further down the street looking back up to where he would normally be in his shop there was no warning none the winds were I went outside um right after the power went out about 4 30 in the morning and I could barely stand up in my driveway because the gusts were so strong and my house is right in and right now you're showing video that I took when I was trying to get back to my get my gallery right as I was evacuating my house is just a few blocks from there and up the road the town's main shopping center Outlets of Maui this the complex's Instagram page inviting visitors to shop at the likes of Kate Spade Michael Kors and Adidas today only the sign to the complex still stands businesses can be rebuilt but the human cost hangs heavy over the community here so far dogs trained to find bodies have covered just three percent of the search area recovery teams have been spray painting cars and buildings on Front Street with an X to indicate they've done an initial check but there could still be human remains inside [Music] for life was captured on video by two teenagers just up the road from the shopping mall 19 year old Noah with his little brother Milo and their mother they had to jump from their car to escape the fires both sides to the left and the right are on fire this town so loved by locals and tourists is now utterly destroyed blackened scarred and raised to the ground businesses homes holiday accommodations shops restaurants gone in minutes only memories remain of the bustling seafront Main Street but there's also a belief one day will be rebuilt to its former glory [Music]

Channel: Sky News

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Id: 8ajkMIw00WI

Length: 6min 59sec (419 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 14 2023