Maui’s Historic Town Laid to Waste: Residents Face the Grim Reality of Returning to Scorched Remains

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Cars reduced to cinders and trapped under fallen telephone poles. Elevator shafts, scorched and alone, stand as silent witnesses to the once-thriving apartment buildings they serviced. Swimming pools turned to dark, charcoal-filled basins. Children’s playthings, like trampolines and scooters, twisted and disfigured by intense heat.

On Friday, the inhabitants of Lahaina were permitted to return to their homes for the first time since wildfires claimed at least 55 lives and transformed vast stretches of the age-old town into a nightmarish landscape filled with charred debris.

Journalists from Big Big News were firsthand witnesses to the ravaging destruction, observing nearly every structure reduced to ruins on Front Street, the heart and financial core of the Maui community. Roosters, familiar figures on Hawaii’s streets, wandered aimlessly among the remains, including a chilling scene of the burned-out shells of numerous cars trapped by the flames.

“It was unbelievable how fast it struck,” said Lahaina resident Kyle Scharnhorst, surveying the wreckage of his apartment complex. “It resembled a battlefield.”

The state’s most lethal natural calamity since a 1960 tsunami that took 61 lives, these wildfires have wreaked havoc on the island. Survivors recounted the lack of warning, unable to prepare or flee until seeing the approaching fire or hearing nearby explosions.

“There were no alerts. None at all. We saw no emergency vehicles, nothing,” said Lynn Robinson, whose house was consumed by the fire.

Official records from Hawaii’s emergency management confirm that no warning sirens were activated. Alerts were sent via mobile phones, TVs, and radios, but widespread power and cell outages likely hindered their effectiveness.

Governor Josh Green has cautioned that the fatality count might climb as rescue efforts continue. He also announced that Lahaina residents could return on Friday to assess their properties, with arrangements made for water and other essential services. Access to West Maui was planned for noon, with a nightly curfew established from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“The rebuilding process will be incredibly complex, but we want residents to safely evaluate their homes, as the situation remains perilous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.

With the dry summer and hurricane-generated winds fueling them, at least three wildfires blazed across Maui this week, laying waste to the landscape.

The most destructive fire hit Lahaina on Tuesday, leaving a haunting tableau of gray rubble, skeletal building remnants, burnt palm trees, scorched harbor boats, and a lingering stench of burning.

Summer and Gilles Gerling managed to salvage only a few precious mementos from the remnants of their home. They lost their wedding rings but expressed gratitude for their family’s safety, stating, “These are all material things.”

This tragedy marks the deadliest U.S. wildfire since California’s 2018 Camp Fire. Cadaver-sniffing dogs have been deployed to search for victims, said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.

The risk of wildfire in Lahaina had been previously identified in Maui County’s 2020 hazard mitigation plan. Limited resources and inadequate staffing might have impeded the firefighting efforts, according to the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, Bobby Lee.

Lana Vierra, despite knowing her family home is gone, is eager to return to Lahaina. “To stand on your burnt land and begin thinking about moving forward – I think it will bring some peace to families,” she said, mourning the loss of irreplaceable family memories.

The devastation has left a deep and lasting impact on the Maui community. As residents begin the difficult journey of rebuilding, the haunting images of what was lost remain etched in their minds.

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