Lahaina

10 Stories

Chiefs Say Deadly Maui Fires Exposed Many Issues

Report describes firefighters' heroism, makes 111 recommendations

(Newser) - The Maui wildfires in August were America's deadliest wildfires in more than a century—and while the response from firefighters was heroic, the "largest and most extensive deployment" in the history of the county's fire department exposed many issues, an After Action Report produced by the Western...

Lahaina to Hawaii Governor: We're Not Ready to Reopen

Residents deliver petition asking to delay new tourism, but it's a tricky economic situation

(Newser) - Residents from fire-stricken Lahaina on Tuesday delivered a petition asking Hawaii Gov. Josh Green to delay plans to reopen a portion of West Maui to tourism starting this weekend, saying the grieving community is not ready to welcome back visitors. The petition signed by 3,517 people from West Maui...

Woman Who Ran Through Burning Maui Field Dies

Laurie Allen, who escaped Lahaina's wildfire 7 weeks ago, succumbed to her injuries Friday

(Newser) - A woman who escaped Hawaii's Lahaina wildfire by running through a flaming field has died after spending more than seven weeks in a hospital burn unit. Laurie Allen died Friday at Straub Medical Center in Honolulu, according to a GoFundMe page set up for her and her husband, Perry...

Symbol of Hope Emerges in Lahaina
Symbol of Hope
Emerges in Lahaina
Sep 21, 2023 11:40 AM CDT

Symbol of Hope Emerges in Lahaina

Hawaiian town's scorched banyan tree sprouts new leaves after intensive treatment

(Newser) - Among a sea of brown, black, and gray, a hint of green in the scorched Maui town of Lahaina is cause for celebration. Locals have spotted new growth on the 150-year-old banyan tree that serves as a landmark at the center of the town largely destroyed in the Aug. 8...

After DNA Tests, Maui Death Toll Drops to 97

People died huddled together, coroner says

(Newser) - Authorities in Hawaii have adjusted the number of deaths from the deadly Maui wildfire down to at least 97 people. Officials previously said they believed at least 115 people had died in the fire, but further testing showed they had multiple DNA samples from some of the victims. The number...

In Torched Maui, a Shred of 'Positive News'
Maui's Number of Missing
Changes Dramatically
UPDATED
Aug 26, 2023 5:30 AM CDT

Maui's Number of Missing Changes Dramatically

Of the 388 people verified as missing, more than 100 say they're safe

(Newser) - Almost as soon as Maui's number of missing changed dramatically, it may have changed dramatically again. The AP reports that within a day of officials releasing the names of the 388 people who were verified as still missing Thursday, more than 100 of those names might be able to...

It Felt Like a Nightmare. 'Then You Realize You're Burning'

The AP has the story of Lahaina residents whose split-second decisions saved them

(Newser) - In Lahaina, Hawaii, there were no sirens, no one with bullhorns, no one to tell anyone what to do: Residents were on their own to choose whether to stay or to run, and where to run to—through smoke so thick it blinded them, flames closing in from every direction,...

Hawaii Firefighters Ran Into the Most Basic Obstacle of All

'There was just no water in the hydrants,' one tells the 'New York Times'

(Newser) - Stories have previously catalogued the series of factors that made the Hawaii wildfires so devastating: dry conditions, high winds from a hurricane, low humidity, invasive species, etc. Now the New York Times adds another, a basic one summed up in the words of a firefighter in Lahaina: "There was...

Report: Maui Officials Didn't Use Sirens to Alert Lahaina

Communications efforts are now under scrutiny after wildfire that has left at least 80 dead

(Newser) - In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social-media posts that reached a much smaller audience. Power and cellular...

Amid Maui Destruction, the 'Heartbeat of Lahaina' Endures

Historic 150-year-old banyan tree is scorched but still standing—for now

(Newser) - The wildfire that's been tearing across the island of Maui has proven devastating, with people forced to leap into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames and a growing death toll of more than 50 . The city of Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was especially...

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