Current:Home > ContactLahaina Is ‘like a war zone,’ Maui evacuees say -FutureWise Finance
Lahaina Is ‘like a war zone,’ Maui evacuees say
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:09:00
KAHULUI, Maui –— Evacuees from Lahaina are still processing what happened Tuesday night, sharing their stories of escape after a wildfire tore through the West Maui township and killed at least six people.
Hundreds of residents and tourists took shelter at Maui High School on Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday morning, among 2,100 are seeking shelter across the island and the American Red Cross set up an evacuation center in the athletic complex.
Donations of food, water, toiletries and bedding have been rolling in to the volunteer-run operation but tourists and residents are still processing what happened to the popular tourist destination overnight.
“It was like a war zone,” said Alan Barrios, who arrived at the shelter on Wednesday morning, black with ash. “There was explosions left and right.”
Barrios, a 53-year-old taxi driver, took shelter in his car in a parking lot in Lahaina after staying back to save his cats. He lost one in the process, along with his apartment and belongings.
He has lived in Lahaina for 20 years, he said.
“I lost everything. By now it’s ashes, nothing left,” Barrios said.
Unhoused Lahaina resident Aaron Abel says he took refuge in Lahaina’s nearshore waters, where a dozen were rescued Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, tourists have filling the airport in a bid to leave the island, creating long lines at Kahului Airport.
Michael Shan arrived in Kahului on Tuesday night from Seattle and went straight to Maui High School because of what was happening in Lahaina.
About 70% of those who stayed at the shelter were tourists, he estimated.
Authorities said that people evacuated to Oahu can be sheltered at the Honolulu Convention Center, which can hold around 4,000 people.
Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism and accountability in Hawaii.
veryGood! (335)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Wildfires in Greece prompt massive evacuations, leaving tourists in limbo
- Wet socks can make a difference: Tips from readers on keeping cool without AC
- Three Midwestern States to Watch as They Navigate Equitable Rollout for EV Charging
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Proof Emily Blunt and Matt Damon's Kids Have the Most Precious Friendship
- A New Shell Plant in Pennsylvania Will ‘Just Run and Run’ Producing the Raw Materials for Single-Use Plastics
- “Strong and Well” Jamie Foxx Helps Return Fan’s Lost Purse During Outing in Chicago
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Car Companies Are Now Bundling EVs With Home Solar Panels. Are Customers Going to Buy?
Ranking
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Amazon Prime Day Rare Deal: Get a Massage Therapy Gun With 14,000+ 5-Star Reviews for Just $32
- TikTok’s Favorite Hair Wax Stick With 16,100+ 5-Star Reviews Is $8 for Amazon Prime Day 2023
- Residents Fear New Methane Contamination as Pennsylvania Lifts Its Gas-Drilling Ban in the Township of Dimock
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- West Baltimore Residents, Students Have Mixed Feelings About Water Quality After E. Coli Contamination
- The EPA Is Helping School Districts Purchase Clean-Energy School Buses, But Some Districts Have Been Blocked From Participating
- Amazon Prime Day 2023 Fashion Deal: 20% Off This Top-Rated Jumpsuit With Sizes Ranging From Small to 4X
Recommendation
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
The ‘Power of Aridity’ is Bringing a Colorado River Dam to its Knees
Oil Companies Had a Problem With ExxonMobil’s Industry-Wide Carbon Capture Proposal: Exxon’s Bad Reputation
There's a way to get healthier without even going to a gym. It's called NEAT
Average rate on 30
Army Corps of Engineers Withdraws Approval of Plans to Dredge a Superfund Site on the Texas Gulf Coast for Oil Tanker Traffic
Three Midwestern States to Watch as They Navigate Equitable Rollout for EV Charging
As seas get hotter, South Florida gets slammed by an ocean heat wave