Wildfires are raging on Maui Island in Hawaii, and the state of Hawaii has entered a state of full emergency. As of the evening of the 10th local time, the wildfire has killed at least 53 people and injured dozens more. A famous seaside resort town suffered heavy losses. The wildfire has become the second-deadliest fire in the U.S. in the past 100 years, behind the Campo Wildfire, California, which killed 85 people in November 2018, according to U.S. media.
At present, wildfires are mainly concentrated in the western tourist area of Maui and inland mountainous areas in Hawaii, USA, Hawaii State Emergency Management said that the wildfire began on the 8th local time, and the area of fire has exceeded 800 hectares. Western Maui has been completely cordoned off, allowing only emergency personnel to enter and exit.
Much of the seaside town of Lahaina, in the northwest of the island, was destroyed by fire. Aerial video shows that dozens of buildings have been razed to the ground along the coast of Lahaina, the sea is full of rubble, ships parked in the harbor have been burned to black, and 80% of the fires in Lahaina are now under control.
On the 10th, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency said that many communities in Maui have suffered extensive damage, and most of the fires are still out of control, and thousands of people have been displaced by the fire.
The wildfires damaged or burned more than 1,700 buildings in Maui, causing widespread power outages and communications disruptions, and grounding flights. Local officials said at least 4,000 more tourists were waiting to be evacuated.
On the 10th, US President Joe Biden declared the wildfire in Hawaii a "major disaster", and the federal government can distribute relief funds to the disaster-stricken areas of the state to provide temporary housing and house repair subsidies for the affected people, and help local residents and businesses rebuild after the disaster.
On the same day, a Pentagon spokesman said that 134 National Guard members had been dispatched to help respond to wildfires in Hawaii. Seven helicopters were deployed to support. On the 10th, in order to provide a safe environment for fire and rescue work, the FAA issued three temporary flight restrictions, prohibiting flights to Maui.
Aerial photograph by American pilots: The Maui fire scene looks like a war zone after being bombed
The seaside town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, USA, was one of the areas most affected by the wildfires, with a large number of homes and land destroyed by the wildfires. The pilot photographed the scene of the fire from the air, as if he was in a war zone after being bombed. Rescuers said the fire was far more severe than they could have imagined.
First responders on the ground also said the scale and destructive power of the wildfire was unprecedented.
Spidy Bailey, American first responder: This is the scariest fire we've ever seen. We've seen wildfires, but never before have they caused damage and impact on this magnitude.
Source: CCTV Finance