2023-08-13 05:11:23
Fire on Maui
“Everything is gone” – but these buildings defied the fire
Large parts of the city of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui now consist almost entirely of ruins. A few buildings miraculously survived.
Published13. Aug 2023, 07:11
Footage of historic downtown Lahaina shows the destruction left by the fires.
The Church of Maria Lanakila seems to have miraculously survived the fire.
“It’s all gone. But the Maria Lanakila Church is still standing, as is the vicarage,” says Father Terence Watanabe.
In entire streets, hardly more than the foundations of houses remained.
More than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the flames, according to the US civil protection agency Fema.
The fire brigade remained on duty as of August 12, 2023 to contain fires in various regions of the island.
At the beginning of the week, fires broke out in large regions of Maui and on the neighboring island of Hawaii, which had spread quickly due to strong winds with speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour.
People are returning to the place that has long been their home.
But apart from ashes and rubble there is almost nothing left.
via REUTERS
“To be honest, I don’t know if Lahaina will ever be habitable once more,” says one resident.
After the devastating fires in Hawaii, the extent of the devastation becomes clear.
More than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the flames.
However, a few buildings remained intact.
“It feels like a bomb has been dropped on Lahaina”: Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, has no other words at a press conference following he said Destruction has inspected the fires in historic downtown left by Lahaina. But although around 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the fire, according to the Pacific Disaster Center and the US Disaster Management Agency FEMA, a few seem to have died the fire to have survived.
The Catholic Church of Maria Lanakila towers over Waine’s Street seemingly intact. The church was built in 1846 when the first Catholic missionaries arrived on Maui. The name is a Hawaiian expression that translates to “Victorious Mary.” “It’s all gone. The Church of Maria Lanakila is still standing, as is the vicarage,” Priest Terence Watanabe told US media.
“Don’t know if Lahaina will be habitable once more”
The stone walls of the historic Hale Pa’ahao prison also remain. Also puzzling is a house that looks like it was placed there following the fire. A picture by the US photographer Stephen Lam shows the white house directly on the seashore, the roof intact, the fence still intact – while everything left and right was completely devastated by the flames.
Black foundations remain of most homes in Lahaina, with power cords dangling from poles. Front Street, which was once crowded with restaurants and shops, has almost completely disappeared. Only charred remains of the boats in the harbor can be seen.
Wildfires wreaked havoc on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Hundreds of families lost their homes and at least 80 people died.
20 minutes
A man walks through the streets and points to the rubble. “To be honest, I don’t know if Lahaina will ever be habitable once more. Look at that, it’s still smoldering, it’s poisonous, it’s dangerous.” Charred remains of cats, birds and other animals can be seen once more and once more. At least 80 people lost their lives in the blaze.
Elsewhere in the city, however, there are signs of hope in the rubble. A woman meets her neighbor: “You did it,” she calls out. “I’ve tried everywhere to find you.”
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