Report from Maui
I thought I’d highlight this comment from “Jim Irvine,” about the Maui fires. Some of you may not have seen it.
The fires resulted most likely, from downed power lines. Wind was 40+, gusts to 80, both in Lahaina, and in Kula.
The plantations, both Maui Pine, and HC&S, had 35000 acres under cultivation – also they functioned as firebreaks. When the plantations closed, everyone I know realized that dryland forests need to be managed. As others have said, the native grasses don’t exist. Kiawe trees continue to burn, down into the roots, and wind brings up new fires.
Yes, it’s time the state and the county (there are no city governments in Hawaii) need to find a way to replant thousands of acres with drought resistant or fire resistant plants. There exists a company, Mahi Pono, that is planting millions of citrus and other trees. Most are now 3 or 4 feet tall. they plan to plant 40000 acres. Time will tell.
There is irrigation to all of the fields. the plantations used flood irrigation until the late 70’s, early 80’s. after that drip was used, or rather drip tape.
In the last several years, we have had major brush fires, about this same time of year. Leeward sides get little rain, compared to the windward side. The last big one, several years ago, closed the two roads out of Kihei. I was lucky, and was around when Oprah opened the road to up country, so we could escape. If the fire had of continued, most of Kihei would have suffered Lahaina’s fate.
People also don’t understand that there is ONE road, to and from the west (Lahaina) side. the road that goes north, is one lane for much of the time. No guard rails, no markings, just a very small road, with sheer cliffs on one side, and lava and boulders on the other. It takes 3 hours minimum to go from Lahaina to Kahului using this ‘back side’ route. Rental companies prohibit using this route. Going thru the Kahakaloa area, you are 4 feet from people’s front doors. The distance is 25 miles, using the south road. Takes about 40 minutes.
All electric is on poles, newer ones are hurricane poles, steel and very high. Underground is almost impossible, due to the blue rock found on Maui.
To fight the fires, Maui Fire had 100 men. For three major blazes, Kula, Pulehu, and Lahaina. They were out-matched from the get go. They have helos, but those can’t fly in 60mph wind. And when they do, the small buckets make little distance. there are no California type c-130 tankers, anywhere in Hawaii. To be honest, with the wind, which had been blowing for days, like normal trades, but 3 times as strong, it was a disaster from the start.
They fought the Kula fire first, and thought the Lahaina fire was out. When it came back, it went thru Lahaina like a a hurricane. From late night to early morning, a space of a few hours, it completely destroyed Lahaina town. 100-year-old buildings, mostly wood. Spaced very very close together.
Friends i know live on LahainaLuna Rd. From the time they smelled smoke, to the time they were running for their lives, was minutes, literally. Two ran to the harbor, the heat was so intense many people died unable to run anymore. Dozens of people dove into the ocean, which became hell on earth, as the boats in the harbor ignited from the intense heat and embers. Oil coated the water. Many people didn’t make it thru that.
It is terribly terribly sad here. I have lived on Maui for 40 years. Everyone I know has an uncle or aunty, niece or cousin they know who are now homeless, and out of work as well. Unlike California, where people can relocate, it doesn’t work that way here. NO rentals, no places to live.
They will have relocated 24000 tourists out of the island by end of day today. clearing the way to help the thousands of locals who are without food, water, electric, or beds. We live on an island, and it takes time, and massive logistics, to get things here, thru the one port. Maui is a small place, and we all have friends and ohana who are suffering.
It will never be the same here. ever. It was magic when I moved here. That magic has been gone a long time now. This fire, and what will happen after, will destroy whatever is left of the Aloha that drew so many of us here, back in the day.
No one has faith in the current crop of so-called leaders. This state has been Democrat since statehood. Enough said.The current death toll is 56 I believe. that will increase.
I hope this helps people to understand what it is like here now.
Rental companies prohibit using this route.
I drove that route a few times (don’t tell the rental company) after swimming at Slaughterhouse beach. There is definitely a section where you hope no one is coming in the opposite direction. The rental companies also forbid driving on 360 along the SE/S coast, or at least they did. Of course I drove that also, from Hana. It is a different world after you get past the cliff side, I’d call it arid.
@Jim Irvine Thanks for your report. I’ve donated to the Maui Food Bank.
I hope Jim Irvine will keep us updated about the situation on Maui. Here is the link to the Maui Food Bank that JJ posted last night:
https://mauifoodbank.org/
Like Chuck, I’ve donated, and I hope others will be moved to do so too.
Horrifying story. Glad Jim Irvine is alive.
Thirty five years ago my girlfriend and I (we married later) spent time in Lahaina, and the Kahalui to Paia area and the mountain. It was lovely. Some years later we spent a week in the Kihei area. While I’ve never been to the big island, Maui was always my favorite of the three islands I have visited. What a pity.
I don’t remember visiting Lahaina when my Girl Scout troop did an island-hopping camping tour of Hawaii in the summer of 1971 – we did visit Maui, so we may have passed through there, very briefly. I recall Hana, on the eastern shore of the Big Island pretty well – surprised at how much of the Big Island was pretty much high-altitude desert grassland, only the eastern side was really, really tropical. But Hana was small, and quaint and friendly – the owner of one of the little tourist shops gave us some bananas, freshly-picked from the tree outside of her shop. Even Oahu, as tourist-oriented as it was even then, seemed friendly, casual and laid-back. The tour bus driver bringing us back from an evening at the cultural center seemed very proud of his patch of paradise, and happy to share it with us.
To me – being raised in fire country, even – the most horrifying thing was the suddenness of essentially a fire tornado hitting Lahaina – Jim Irvine’s comment about his friends smelling smoke … and then running for their lives barely minutes later – that hits home, to me. Looking at the pictures of the burned little town is awful. My sister and her husband have a time-share, just up the coast from Lahaina – and she says that every place that she and her family frequented and loved is burnt out. Maybe the banyan tree survives…
From the pictures, it looks like some places in Lahaina escaped – was it perhaps because they had well-watered gardens around them, or a tin roof? Maybe the owners had the presence of mind to soak down the roof, in advance of the fire
Sgt Mom: Hana is at the east end of Maui, not the Big Island.
It’s been a good few years – we were at Hana, too, for the black sand beach. I was thinking of Kailua-Kona, I think.
Thanks for the post Neo. I am on Maui right now – safe, in a shelter. We were in a condo by Lahaina. We have nothing but the clothes on our back. We fled through the flames – 7 hours in a min-van getting out past Lahaina with thousands of other people. My wife and 4 kids (none older than 15) and I. Everyone has been wonderful here but I agree- the magic is gone. We have come to Maui 4 times now and this will be our last time. We may in fact never travel anywhere we cannot drive back to. We live in Idaho. There is plenty to do in the 48.
(And pro tip – never leave your prescription glasses, meds, and travel papers behind)
We came here to reset our lives after a hard year and had watch so many lose their lives and homes in the process of fleeing. We have a plane out in a few days but leave with broken hears for the people who lost everything.
AManOfTheWest:
Please have a safe trip home.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/galleries/article-12398433/Lahaina-church-miraculously-untouched-devastating-Maui-wildfires.html
My prediction is that Maui will come back. It’s down and holding on for dear life right now, but the place can still be a vacationer’s delight again.
We began visiting Kauai shortly after Iniki had done so much damage to the island. We fell in love with its rustic, friendly charm. For the next twenty years we spent at least a month there every year.
The Hawaiian Islands have a lot to offer those who love the outdoors. Maui will recover and be better than ever. It’s hard to say or see that in the wake of such devastation, but it has to happen for those left to rebuild. Tourism is their life blood. Once they get back on their feet, they will need visitors.
Right now, they need the supplies to maintain life. Eventually, they will need the supplies to rebuild. That’s where FEMA, the insurance companies, and our logistics chain need to get moving. There are people to feed and house, and after a period of mourning and regrouping, life can slowly return to some semblance of normalcy. Long live Maui!
Aloha. thanks to everyone who read this post. Obviously I’m not a writer, and re reading it now makes me admire Neo and her ability to write well written and interesting posts.
But thanks to everyone who donated, much appreciated.
They opened the road today, so people can get to Lahaina, and the area to the north, Napilli etc. Just during day light hours, but a blessing to those who left hotels without being able to retrieve their belongings.
AManOfTheWest-sounds horrific to travel out of that disaster. I know that there was no cell service, or any information for most of that time-I think Napilli has cell service now. Also hoping that the hotels can forward peoples belongings.
death toll is 67 now. but apparently those are people found outside, or in the water.
Maui Police chief said last night that many victims in homes, and cars, were just bones. The fire was so intense.
He mentioned it would be a while before people allowed in Lahaina town area, and that cadaver dogs and teams from the mainland, and the military, are searching for remains now.
Obviously lots of things to sort out. But the influx of people, and supplies has been pretty amazing. The American military is second to none at moving things around, and my friend says that there are transport trucks, dozers, etc all over now.
FEMA is here and are helping to sort out peoples immediate needs.
Rumors, thats all at this point, is that Oprah, jeff Bezos, are planning to pledge millions to the recovery and reconstruction.
cb on- Thank you so much for that link. That the church is still standing, in good shape, is a blessing, if not a miracle. Gives people hope.
I’ll post again if anything major happens, but for now, things are beginning to settle down. Still lots to do, fires aren’t all out, and people need shelter.
But thanks so much to everyone who donated, commented, and prayed on this.
JJ- thanks for the optimism. I hope you are right.
My daughter and family, group of 7 (youngest 19) had arrived in the Lahaina area on Mon. for a week’s vacation. They were 4 miles from the fire. Only yesterday (Thurs.) did I find out from her by text that they were there. When she texted, they had made it back to the airport (Kahului area) and were to return to the airport at 7 a.m. today. There were 7 adult-sized people in a rented Suburban SUV. Hotels were sold out. I sent them listings for a few hostels and YMCA hoping they could get in somewhere; otherwise they would have had to spend the night in the van. Today I asked if they found a room or rooms. She said, “Will update you later about our sleep accommodations. Suffice it to say, we all survived.” (For which we are all very thankful.) They are to get back to their “local” airport (CA) about 10:30 pm tonight. Exhausted but, I guess, intact.
cb’s link to Daily Mail also says that the city’s massive historic banyan tree escaped harm. Worth the click to see that picture, and compare it to the equally massive fig tree that burned to char.
Best wishes to Jim, VV, AManOfTheWest, and others affected.
Thanks for sharing your reports.
Mahalo to Jim Irvine again for another on the scene report. It’s like getting a news report from Bill Mauldin on the frontlines back in the day. Stuff we can all relate to.
Good to hear that FEMA and the military are on the scene. It will be a mess with some chaos for a while. But things will slowly improve.
I had forgotten that Bezos and Oprah are Maui property owners. Their mega bucks could sure help. I hope they’re generous.
The survival of the Lahaina church is a good omen. There is hope for recovery.
Wow, VV, glad to hear your daughter and family members are safe. What a blessing and relief that is.
The Daily Mail has an update with photos
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12399429/Lahaina-reopen-riot-wildfire-destroy-boats-harbor.html
Communication, or lack of, seems to be a major problem, not just here, but in all disasters.
The authorities and those in need can’t communicate now, and it causes problems.
Starlink and the ability to power those units would help. I’m hoping the authorities get that message.
People are setting up re fueling stations, and ice stops, by themselves now. Buying fuel themselves, from donations from others in their communities.
These problems seem to be something many experience in natural disasters.
They opened the road to people wanting to get back to Napilli and Kahana etc. But many people went into Lahaina town, and a riot of sort took place, as people were asked to leave the destroyed area, due to safety concerns, and they became emotional and obviously were upset. Police shut the road down again.
There is going to be more of this, as we move forward. Going to be a long road.