![]() Kawaakoa, 34, grew up in the apartment building, called Lahaina Surf, where his dad and grandmother also lived. As they drove away, downed utility poles and others fleeing in cars slowed their progress. They called 911, but didn't know if the people got out. “We barely made it out,” Kawaakoa said at an evacuation shelter on Wednesday, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.Īs the family fled, a senior center across the road erupted in flames. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire. Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. The 2018 Camp Fire in California killed at least 85 people, destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings, and virtually razed the town of Paradise. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured. Crews battled blazes in several places on the island Wednesday, and the flames forced some adults and children to flee into the ocean.Īt least 36 people have died, according to a statement from Maui County late Wednesday that said no other details were available. The fire took the island by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood in Lahaina Town, which dates to the 1700s and has long been a favorite destination for tourists. WAILUKU, Hawaii - Thousands of Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people in one of the deadliest U.S. By Audrey McAvoy, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Nick Perry
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