Maui’s historic Lahaina is burning

>> DEVASTATION AND HEARTBREAK. AS YOU SAW PARTS OF HISTORICAL A TOWN DESTROYED AS WIND WHIPPED. WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO RAGE. AT LEAST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED. DOZENS MORE INJURED. SOME WITH CRITICAL BURN INJURIES AND OFFICIALS ARE STILL CONDUCTING SEARCH AND RESCUES. A FLYOVER TODAY SHOWED MORE THAN 271 STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN EITHER DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED, INCLUDING TOURISTS WHO WERE FALLING TO A WALK THE HAWAII CONVENTION CENTER HAS BEEN SET UP AS AN EMERGENCY SHELTER OFF ISLAND. THE OFFICIALS ARE URGING AGAINST NONESSENTIAL TRAVEL TO MAUI AT THIS TIME. NOW WITH ALL ROADS LEADING INTO THE HEINER CLOSE FOR SAFETY REASONS. ONLY WAY TO REACH THAT PART OF MAUI IS BY BOAT. BRIGETTE NAMATA DID JUST THAT AND SHOWS US THE AFTERMATH OF THE DEADLY POWERFUL WINDS. >> NEVER HAVE I EVER SEEN ANYTHIliNG LIKE THAT BEFORE AN ENTIRE TOWN. JUST GONE. WE TALK ABOUT FROM ELIA TO LA HINA AND THE BOAT CAPTAIN TOLD US THAT OCEAN CONDITIONS TODAY WERE VERY UNUAL, WINDY, CHOPPY. 2 TO 4 FOOT SEAS DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN ON THE LEEWARD SIDE O ISLE. AND THEN ONCE YOU REACH LA HINA. >> UNBELIEVABLE. >> WHAT ONCE WAS A COLORFUL STRETCH OF GORGEOUS 19 TH-CENTURY ARCHITECTURE IS NO MORE A SMOKY LANDSCAPE. THE RUINS OF BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC LINER. THE COAST GUARD SCANNING THE SEAS FROM KAANAPALI TO LA HINA IN SEARCH OF SURVIVORS AND SENDING OUT A MESSAGE TO ALL ABLE BOATERS. >> IT'S ONE THING TO WATCH THE VIDEOS. IT'S ANOTHER TO ACTUALLY SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN 2 WAYS. I FEEL LIKE I'M LOING AT A WAR ZONE. BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC LA HINA TOWN REDUCED TO A CRISP. WE ARE ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM SHORE. THERE'S NOWHERE TO DOCK BECAUSE LA HINA BOAT HARBOR IS GONE AND EVEN FROM THIS DISTANCE, THE AIR QUALITY IS SO BAD. IT SMELLS LIKE YOU'RE IN THE THICK OF IT. PALM TREES BURNT NO LONGER SWAYING WITH THE WIND. >> BUILDING STILL ON FIRE. >> THIS WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO KNOW. BUT IT WHAT WE CAN. >> HELICOPTERS ARE FIGHTING THE STRONG WINDS TO DROP MUCH NEEDED WATER DOWN BELOW. >> YOU SEE THOSE FOR TREES. THAT'S WHERE THE DAX USED TO BE AND THE HARBORMASTER OFFICE. IT IS STILL STANDING BUT DIRECTLY BEHIND. THAT WAS THE HISTORIC PIONEER IN AND THAT'S COMPLETELY GONE. >> THIS PHOTO A PIONEER IN WAS TAKEN JUST LAST WEEK. THE BUILDING BUILT IN 19. 0, ONE IS REDUCED TO RUBBLE. HER HOTELS HAVE EVACUATED GUESTS LEAVING THOUSANDS AT KAHULUI AIRPORT WITHOUT THEIR BELONGINGS AND WITHOUT A TASTE OF CHARMING WE LANDED HERE YESTERDAY AND ALL WE HAVE THE CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS AND WE DON'T WHAT GETS ME, I IS THAT WE HAD NO CLUE WHEN WE LEFT YESTERDAY. >> WERE DRIVING THROH THIS HISTORICAL BEAUTIFUL TOURIST AREA. AND THAT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT WE WOULD SEE THAT OR HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THAT. >> WHETHER YOU'RE RELIGIOUS OR NOT, ONE SITE STICKS OUT AMID THIS DESOLATE LANDSCAPE, A CHURCH IS STILL STANDING. >> IT MAY BE A SIGN OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS HISTORIC TOWN. BUT WE'RE A LONG WAYS AWAY FROM THAT. >> NOW, SADLY, SOME MAUI RESIDENTS WE SPOKE TO SAY THEY STILL HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEIR LOVED ONES AND THEY'RE STILL HOLDING OUT HOPE THAT THEIR FOUND SAFE AND SOUND

Channel: KHON2 News

Views: 817,096

Keywords: khon, working for hawaii, hawaii news, hawaii, hawaii sports, maui news, kauai news, molokai, lanai, big island, aloha news, aloha state

Id: _IhDtP53zC8

Length: 4min 3sec (243 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 10 2023