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HONOLULU (AP) — Maui police held a news conference on Monday to show 16 minutes of body camera footage taken the day a wildfire tore through Lahaina town in August, including video of officers rescuing 15 people from a coffee shop and taking a severely burned man to a hospital. Earlier this month, Maui County provided the AP with 911 call recordings in response to an open records request. Officers ushered out 15 people from the coffee shop as smoke swirled in the sky around them, loaded the group into police SUVs and took them to the Lahaina Civic Center. In another clip, an officer finds a badly burned man at a shopping center and put him in the back seat of his patrol car. The fast-moving wildfire on Aug. 8 killed at least 99 people and burned more than 2,000 structures.

Persons: John Pelletier Organizations: Lahaina Civic Center, Co Locations: HONOLULU, Lahaina, Maui County, Wailuku, Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — All of West Maui except for burned-out sections of historic Lahaina will reopen to tourism on Nov. 1 following the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than century, the mayor of Maui County said Monday. Mayor Richard Bissen said he made the move after talking about it with his Lahaina advisory team, the Red Cross and other partners. West Maui has about 11,000 hotel rooms, or about half of Maui's total. Josh Green last month declared West Maui would officially reopen to tourism on Oct. 8 to bring back badly needed jobs and help the economy recover. Residents who have been staying in West Maui hotels and other short-term accommodations after losing their homes in the fire won't lose their lodging, the mayor said.

Persons: Richard Bissen, Josh Green, Bissen, ”, ” Bissen, “ Organizations: Travelers, Hawaii Gov Locations: HONOLULU, West Maui, Lahaina, Maui County, Maui, Hawaii

Five hotels in West Maui were accepting reservations again, according to their websites and the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association. Many local residents have objected to resuming tourism in West Maui, which includes Lahaina town and a stretch of coastline to the north. Thousands of tourists staying in beachfront hotels north of the burn zone left Maui in the days after the fire. Some 11,000 hotel rooms in West Maui have since either sat empty or housed displaced Lahaina residents under a program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross. Four of the five reopening hotels were in the northernmost section of West Maui, including the Ritz-Carlton at Kapalua.

Persons: Josh Green, Green, Laura Paulson, Richard Bissen, ” Bissen, Bissen, “, ” Paulson Organizations: Maui, Lodging Association, Hawaii, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wellness, Resilience, Ritz, Carlton Locations: HONOLULU, Maui, Lahaina, West Maui, Maui County, Paia, Maui's, Hana, Kapalua

A sign at the site of the destroyed Pioneer Hotel and Pioneer Theater is seen after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. The wildfires incinerated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, destroying 2,200 homes and businesses and leaving hundreds unaccounted for. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans for not speaking publicly about the tragedy until five days after it occurred. Criswell said she was in communication in the days that followed the wildfires, helping Biden understand the magnitude of the situation and what resources were needed. Some will be too traumatized to attend when their schools in Lahaina reopen while some parents will opt to move rather than rebuild.

Persons: Deanne Criswell, Joe Biden, Criswell, Biden, Jonathan Allen, Brendan O'Brien, David Morgan, Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Pioneer, Hawai'i Department of Land, Natural Resources, REUTERS Acquire, . Federal Emergency Management Agency, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Kihei, Chicago, Washington

☆ Biden to reassure Maui's Lahaina residents they will control rebuilding after devastating wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden step off Air Force One upon arrival at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Reno, Nevada on August 18, 2023. The wildfires incinerated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, destroying 2,200 homes and businesses and leaving hundreds unaccounted for. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans for not speaking publicly about the tragedy until five days after it occurred. Criswell said she was in communication in the days that followed the wildfires, helping Biden understand the magnitude of the situation and what resources were needed. — Biden on Friday authorized additional federal support for Hawaii, the White House said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Deanne Criswell, Criswell, Biden, —, — Biden Organizations: Air Force, Tahoe, . Federal Emergency Management Agency Locations: Reno, Reno , Nevada, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

☆ On Maui, a perfect storm of climate, colonialism, and failed emergency systems made the deadliest US wildfire in over a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Maiya Focht | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A deadly wildfire raged through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, killing at least 111 people, last week. Aerial view shows destroyed homes and buildings near Front Street in Lahaina Town on August 10, 2023. Colonialism: Plantations brought the perfect wildfire fuel, an invasive grassLahaina was once the capital of the indigenous Hawaiian kingdom. Smoke and flames rise in Lahaina, Maui County, Hawaii, U.S., August 8, 2023 in this still image from video obtained from social media. A Mercy Worldwide volunteer makes damage assessment of charred apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 12, 2023.

Persons: Patrick T, Fallon, Jeff Masters, YUKI IWAMURA, Clay Trauernicht, Erin Hawk, We've, Abby Frazier, PATRICK T, FALLON, Dora, Dora didn't, Judson Jones, Jeff Melichar, didn't, Anne Lopez, Herman Andaya Organizations: Service, Getty, Yale, Washington Post, Plantations, Hawaii Public Radio, University of Hawaii, Maui . Flames, Reuters, Clark University, New York Times, REUTERS, ABC7, Mercy Worldwide Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Lahaina Town, Hawaii, U.S, Maui County, AFP

☆ Hawaii tapping outside investigator as wildfire response scrutiny grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The photo taken with a mobile phone on Aug. 14, 2023 shows a vehicle destroyed in a wildfire in Lahaina town, Maui Island, Hawaii, the United States. Hawaii will hire an independent investigator to look into how state and local agencies responded to catastrophic wildfires that have left more than 100 people dead, the state attorney general said Thursday. "This will be an impartial, independent review," said Attorney General Anne Lopez in a statement. The investigator will be from a third-party, private organization with experience in emergency management, according to the attorney general's office. Green ordered the attorney general last week to launch a comprehensive review of the wildfires.

Persons: Anne Lopez, Josh Green, Green, Lopez Organizations: Hawaii Gov Locations: Lahaina, Maui Island, Hawaii, United States, West Maui

[1/5] The shells of burned houses and buildings are left after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 11, 2023. RAPID ADVANCEAuthorities began allowing residents back into west Maui on Friday, though the fire zone in Lahaina remained barricaded. "When I see Lahaina town itself, I cannot describe the feelings I get," said Lacuesta, who was headed to a church shelter next to continue his search. Subsequent updates were focused on the Kula fire, which had burned hundreds of acres and forced some local evacuations. But at around 3:30 p.m., according to the county's updates, the Lahaina fire flared up.

Persons: Anne Lopez, Josh Green, Dacruz, We'll, Lacuesta, a.m, Mike Blake, Marco Garcia, Joseph Ax, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hawai'i Department of Land, Natural Resources, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, CNN, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, REUTERS KAHULUI, Kahului, Kula, Maui County, Honolulu , Hawaii

☆ The death toll rises to 80 in Maui wildfires as survivors begin returning to communities in ruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Maui residents John Rey Serrano and Lexie Lara look from a road above Lahaina Town in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023. Maui County raised the number of confirmed deaths to 80 in a 9 p.m. statement Friday. Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said. Maui County's hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island's second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

Persons: John Rey Serrano, Lexie Lara, Anthony Garcia, Garcia, I'm, Josh Green, Green, Richard Bissen Jr, Anne Lopez, Lopez, Lynn Robinson, Kyle Scharnhorst, Gilles Gerling, Karen Clark, Bobby Lee, Andrew Whelton, Lana Vierra, Riley Curran, Curran, I've Organizations: roosters, Gov, Hawaii News, Associated Press, Iniki, Karen Clark & Company, Hawaii Firefighters Association, Purdue University Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, Maui County, Kaanapali, West Maui, U.S, California, Paradise, Molokai, Kula

☆ Lahaina’s historic 150-year-old banyan tree was badly scorched by wildfires, but it’s still standing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Now, Lahaina’s historic 150-year-old banyan tree has been charred by the wildfires and is dull in color – but still alive. “Banyan Tree in Lahaina smoldering at the base, but still standing,” Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz wrote accompanying a video he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. That history includes the oft-visited banyan tree, which was enjoying its sesquicentennial anniversary this year until the fire broke out. Banyan tree branches produce roots that spawn additional, accessory trunks such that the trees grow up as well as out. The 150-year-old banyan tree, as seen amid the ruins of the wildfires Marco Garcia/ReutersWhile the tree remains standing, it’s unclear how healthy it is after surviving the wildfires that all but destroyed parts of Lahaina.

Persons: Hawaii Sen, Brian Schatz, “, Hawaii Jennifer McDermott, Maui Patrick T, Fallon, Marco Garcia, ”, Bill Weir Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Getty, Foundation, Maui County Arborist, Reuters Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Maui, India, United States, Maui County, “

☆ Maui wildfire death toll of 55 expected to rise amid search for victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Marco Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

KAHULUI, Hawaii, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The death toll from a wildfire that killed at least 55 people on Hawaii's Maui island was expected to rise on Friday, as search teams prepared to comb through the charred ruins of a historic resort town for more victims. "Understand this: Lahaina Town is hallowed, sacred ground right now," Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, referring to humans remains that have yet to be recovered. In addition to searching for the missing, officials were drafting a plan to house the newly homeless in hotels and tourist rental properties. The Lahaina fire is one of three major wildfires on Maui. There was no estimate for the Upcountry fire in the center of the eastern mass of the island, Maui County said.

Persons: John Pelletier, Poweroutage.us, Richard Bissen, NBC's, Knickerbocker, Josh Green, Green, Kamehameha III's, Gregory Knickerbocker, Nicoangelo, Brendan O'Brien, Frank McGurty, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Maui Police, Authorities, U.S . Midwest, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KAHULUI, Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina, California, Washington, Maui County, Oahu, Kahului, U.S, Kingdom of Hawaii, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Europe, Canada, East Coast, Maui ., Chicago

☆ Scenes From the Hawaii Fires and the Aftermath
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the sun rose on Friday in Hawaii, firefighters were still working to fully contain flare-ups from the fast-moving wildfires that devastated the historic oceanside town of Lahaina and other parts of Maui. Emergency workers prepared to resume their search for victims in scorched areas. “The fire was just traveling too fast, and too hot, and next thing you know Lahaina town is gone, literally gone,” said Mark Stefl, whose house burned down and who lost a cat and a dog as he and his wife scrambled to escape the inferno. Josh Green of Hawaii said on Thursday that more than a thousand buildings had likely been destroyed by the fires, and that hundreds of families had been displaced. The death toll, at 55, was expected to climb, he said.

Persons: ”, Mark Stefl, Josh Green Locations: Hawaii, oceanside, Lahaina, Maui

☆ How to help Hawaii wildfire victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Cnn Impact Your World | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —Help is desperately needed in Hawaii as devastating, fast-moving wildfires burn out of control across the Big Island and Maui. Strong winds associated with Hurricane Dora have fanned the flames, knocking out local communication and destroying homes and historic buildings, including the popular Maui tourist destination Lahaina town. Maui hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering burns and smoke inhalation. Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, but local officials warn that the death toll could rise as more information becomes available. Impact Your World will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates with more ways to help.

Persons: Hurricane Dora Organizations: CNN Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina

Search resuls for: "Lahaina Town"

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