Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii's famous emergency warning system didn't alert them as fires raced toward their homes.
Stunned residents are slowly returning to what's left of a historic Maui town that was destroyed by this week's wildfires. The fires on the island have killed at least 55 people.Incinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles. Charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned down apartment buildings they once served. Pools filled with charcoal colored water. Trampolines and children's scooters mangled by the extreme heat.
"It hit so quick, it was incredible," Lahaina resident Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his apartment complex's damage Friday morning. "It was like a war zone."The wildfires are the state's deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people.
Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations - but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.Flash drought, invasive grasses, winds, hurricane and climate change fuel Maui's devastating fires
Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui this week, racing through parched brush covering the island. The report also noted that West Maui had the island's second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.
Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but the department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said. That means fire crews can't attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Video shows Lahaina's 150-year-old banyan tree smoldering but 'still standing' in Lahaina, MauiThe landmark 150-year-old banyan tree was 'just about the only thing left' after Lahaina town was devastated by a deadly fire, US Senator Brian Schatz said.
Read more »
Video shows Lahaina's 150-year-old banyan tree smoldering but 'still standing' in Lahaina, MauiThe landmark 150-year-old banyan tree was 'just about the only thing left' after Lahaina town was devastated by a deadly fire, US Senator Brian Schatz said. FOX13
Read more »
Hawaii fire: Aurora family stranded on Maui amid Lahaina fireA family from west suburban Aurora is stranded on Maui as the Lahaina fire continues to rage.
Read more »
Wildfire devastates Lahaina, historic Maui city and onetime capital of former kingdom of HawaiiThe city was once the royal residence of King Kamehameha III, who unified Hawaii under a single kingdom. Kings and queens are buried in the graveyard of the 200-year-old stone Wainee Church.
Read more »
Hawaii fires: At least 53 dead in fires Maui wildfires, county reports; Lahaina decimatedScorched earth and destroyed homes are seen in the aftermath of deadly wildfires in Hawaii. 💔 At least 36 people have died from the wildfires on Maui and much of the historic town of Lahaina has been 'destroyed,' officials say.
Read more »
Map, satellite images show where Hawaii fires burned throughout Lahaina, MauiSide-by-side images of Lahaina, taken before the blaze and on Wednesday, showed the once lush area badly burned, with the harbor and building rooftops along the shoreline appearing visibly charred.
Read more »