people throw themselves into the sea to escape the flames

96

The images and videos are gruesome. Wildfires in Hawaii, fanned by strong winds caused by Hurricane Dora, have forced evacuations and caused power outages in several areas of the archipelago, as well as creating a desperate situation on the tourist island of Maui.

The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain at a distance of 500 miles, was partly responsible for gusts of more than 60 miles per hour that knocked out power late last night. Tuesday, it shook houses and grounded firefighting helicopters.

The situation is particularly alarming on the island of Maui, where out-of-control fires caused such levels of panic among people that some jumped into the ocean to escape the flames and even the 911 line to report emergencies was down due to the fire. .

“911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down,” Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke told CNN Wednesday morning. “Our hospital system in Maui is overloaded with burn patients, people who are suffering from inhalation.”

Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple fires concentrated in two areas: the popular West Maui tourist destination and a mountainous inland region. It was not immediately known how many buildings had burned, Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said Tuesday night.

Due to gusty winds, helicopters were unable to drop water on the fires from the sky, or measure the size of the fires more precisely, and firefighters found roads blocked by downed trees and power lines while working on the fires. inside, Martin said.

Some 14,000 customers on Maui lost power, Hawaiian Electric reported Wednesday.

“It’s definitely one of the most challenging days for our island given that there are multiple fires, multiple evacuations in different areas of the district,” Martin said.

“The fire may be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house,” said Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Giesea.

Fires in Maui: people seek to escape by throwing themselves into the sea

Clint Hansen recorded and posted video from a drone Tuesday night showing wildfires raging just north of Kihei.

“Lahaina [el lugar más grande de Maui Oeste] It has been devastated,” Hansen told CNN. “There were people jumping into the ocean to escape the flames, being rescued by the Coast Guard. All boat owners are asked to rescue people. It’s apocalyptic.”

A dozen people were rescued near Lahaina after “entering the ocean due to smoke and fire conditions,” Coast Guard and county officials said. “The Coast Guard transported people to safe areas,” Maui County officials said in a news release.

For its part, the county tweeted that several routes in Lahaina were closed with a warning: “DO NOT go into the city of Lahaina.”