2023-08-09 15:07:19
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Smoke billows over the slope of Hawaii’s Haleakala volcano from an inland fire. © Matthew Thayer/The Maui News/AP
The fires are currently raging on the island of Maui and Hawaii. Hurricane Dora is partly responsible for the violent fires. Several people are being treated in the hospital. Deaths are also expected.
Honolulu – In the US state of Hawaii, deaths are feared following violent bush and forest fires. The governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, spoke of a “terrible catastrophe” in the holiday paradise.
Many casualties have been averted through the “heroic” efforts of the emergency services, but “some loss of life” must be expected. The authorities did not initially give any figures.
The fires are raging on the island of Maui and on Hawaii, the largest island in the state of the same name. According to Green, large parts of the city of Lahaina, Maui have been destroyed. Hundreds of families lost their homes. Several people were hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation.
state of emergency declared
A state of emergency has been declared for the two districts of Maui and Hawaii. This will mobilize the Hawaii National Guard to assist responders in affected communities.
Hurricane Dora, which is passing south of the US state’s islands, is partly responsible for the rapidly spreading fires, according to the authorities. “The fact that we have wildfires in multiple areas that are indirectly attributable to a hurricane is unprecedented. This is something the Hawaiians and the state have never experienced,” Maui Deputy Governor Sylvia Luke told CNN. dpa
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