Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities Wednesday, and rescuers pulled a dozen people escaping smoke and flames from the ocean.
Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures, including in historic Lahaina town, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities Wednesday.
Fire was widespread in Lahaina, including on Front Street, an area of the town popular with tourists, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone interview early Wednesday. Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate the area, and officials asked people who weren't in an evacuation area to shelter in place to avoid adding to the traffic, she said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a disaster declaration to provide assistance with a fire that threatened about 200 homes in and around Kohala Ranch, a rural community with a population of more than 500 on the Big Island, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. When the request was made, the fire had burned more than 243 hectares and was not contained.
"It's definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it's multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas," Martin said.
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