Tens of thousands of people evacuated from the island, Chinese tourists witness the Hawaiian wildfire firsthand: 80% of famous attractions are engulfed by hotels | tourists | attractions

Under the wildfire, Maui Island in Hawaii, USA is suffering from the deadliest natural disaster in history. Tens of thousands of tourists from the resort were temporarily lost to the outside world due to communication interruptions, stranded on the island for several days, and then evacuated one after another.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on August 8th local time, multiple wildfires broke out on Maui Island. Due to the impact of the hurricane, the flames quickly spread, and the area of the fires has exceeded 2000 acres. As of 13:00 local time on the 11th, the wildfire has caused at least 67 deaths.

From the images taken by multiple tourists, one of the hardest hit areas, La Haina on Maui Island, is almost completely unrecognizable, and the scene is like a "war zone". In the past, the town was a historic town and a well-known seaside resort. Hawaii Governor Jesse Green is saddened by this, saying, "80% of La Haina has' disappeared '."

In recent days, several Chinese tourists who have experienced wildfires while vacationing on Maui Island have told Chao News about their escape experiences from strong winds and approaching flames. "I don't want to believe that overnight, the coastal town turned into ashes and debris."

A photo released on August 10th in Maui County, Hawaii, USA shows severe damage caused by wildfires. Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Chinese tourists evacuated tens of thousands from the severely affected areas

"Almost all the buildings on the entire street were burned down." On August 11th Beijing time, Chinese tourist Ms. Xu, who was on vacation on Maui Island, evacuated from the hotel to the airport. As she passed by the town of La Haina, she saw that coastal houses, cars, and other buildings had been burned to shells, and some concrete and stone walls were still standing. Residents seemed to have lost everything.

When she raised her phone to take a photo, her hands trembled slightly. She heard the residents of the shelter say, "I woke up from thick smoke in my sleep, but due to the rapid fire, I ran out of the house and found that I didn't have time to escape, so I jumped directly into the sea." She couldn't believe it, and the beautiful scenery instantly turned into ashes in the fire. The once famous "vacation paradise" was so fragile.

The remaining wreckage still emitted thick wisps of smoke, appearing extremely desolate against the blue sea view. This scene made it hard for anyone who vacationed or lived on Maui to believe, but it happened in reality.

Xiao Wan, a tourist from Jiangsu, recalled that her check-in at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on the northwest side of Maui Island on August 7th had already been unusual. Her room was on a higher floor of the hotel, and she heard the strong wind whistling, almost shattering the glass windows. At the same time, the phone once again sounded an alarm, "The wind is quite strong, which will affect the safety of life and property."

Maoi Island Emergency Management Bureau issues evacuation orders for respondents to provide pictures

Xiaowan saw it and it indicated a wind speed of 25 miles per hour. To the surprise of many tourists, they encountered the largest wildfire in Hawaiian history, Hurricane Dora, which intensified the wildfire. Tourists staying in hotels could see the approaching line of fire, and the wildfire illuminated the night sky with a bright red.

Interviewee's photo of wildfire under the night sky

One of the most severely affected areas, Lahaina Town, is located on the west coast of Maui Island and is only a 20 minute drive from Ms. Xu's hotel. Early on the morning of the 8th local time, Ms. Xu discovered a power outage in the hotel and subsequently received a notice from the hotel staff, stating that "the power poles were burned down by wildfire."

Similarly, Xiaowan experienced a power outage at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the northwest of Maui Island. She went out in the morning and saw the police blocking the road. Many power poles on the roadside were blown down by the wind, and big trees were even uprooted. In addition, many people queue up at the entrance of the supermarket to stock up on food. Until after 4 pm on the 8th, the phone showed no signal.

Pictures provided by respondents on Maui Island during the hurricane

Regarding this, Green publicly stated that "telecommunications were rapidly destroyed" at the time, which meant that the community could not remind each other over the phone as usual in emergency situations. Ms. Xu told Chao News reporters, "At that time, most tourists thought it was temporary and could recover soon. However, on the afternoon of the 8th, the hotel notified again that the situation was very serious."

At this time, many tourists began to panic. Through mutual information assistance, they rushed to civilian airports with signals and sent messages to their families through only one or two signals to report safety. However, after leaving, they completely lost contact with the outside world. In the following days, the situation did not improve, and the hotel provided free emergency phone chargers, water, and food for tourists.

The Tide News reporter learned that the wildfire on Maui Island in Hawaii has gone out of control, causing power, water, internet, and transportation to be paralyzed, and many tourists have hastily ended their original vacation plans. According to Xinhua News Agency, about 1700 buildings in Lahaina town have been burned down, and thousands of people need temporary housing. According to the news released by Maoi County, over 1300 residents and tourists of Maoi Island stayed overnight in emergency shelters on the evening of the 9th, and about 1400 people stayed overnight at the airport.

Multiple well-known internet celebrity attractions affected by the disaster have reduced ticket prices by 80%

From the images captured by tourists, the wildfire on Maui Island transformed the area from a once beautiful home to a hellish scene of ashes, taking less than 24 hours.

Public information shows that the disaster stricken town of La Haina has numerous historical sites, covering almost the entire history of Hawaii. The town's annual tourism revenue accounts for approximately 80% of the total tourism industry on Maui Island, which will have a huge impact on the tourism industry, a pillar industry of Hawaii and Maui.

In addition, the area where the well-known internet celebrity breakfast restaurant is located has been blocked, and tourists are unable to drive there, which is regrettable. On the morning of August 8th local time, Xiao Wanyuan planned to drive to the breakfast restaurant for a meal, but found that the police were on the road to the restaurant, and vehicles could only enter and exit.

The map shows that the popular breakfast restaurant Kihei Caffe La Haina branch is close to the wildfire burning point, and the store information shows that it is closed. Several tourists claimed that this restaurant has been rated as the "Best Breakfast on Maui Island" for ten consecutive years, offering over 40 breakfast categories and is a must visit spot for tourists.

In an interview with CCTV News, the mayor of Maoyi County said, "I can think of the closest analogy, maybe it looks like a war zone or a bomb exploded." Many local residents also felt the same way, "I was shocked. It really looks like a ghost city." Everything around it was destroyed, it was like a war zone... "

At 9:00 am US time on the 9th, Xiaowan evacuated from Hului Airport. She saw that there were many stranded tourists and could only buy a ticket for the same day at 3:00 am using the airport signal. She waited at the airport for 7 hours.

Tourists waiting at the airport on August 10th local time. Respondents provide pictures

Xiao Wan discovered at the airport that American Airlines had added many flights at the Maui Island airport and set ultra-low prices. "As long as $19 includes two pieces of luggage for check-in, you can transfer to any island of Hawaii, which is equivalent to an 80% discount on the total price. Previously, checking in one piece of luggage would cost $30."

According to a report released by the Hawaii Tourism Bureau on the afternoon of the 10th, more than 14000 people evacuated from Maui on the 9th, and about 14500 people are expected to evacuate on the 10th. "They choose to go home or go on vacation on other islands in Hawaii." On August 12th, according to the booking platform, from August 12th to 31st, 97% of accommodations on Maui were not available for booking.

Underestimating the deadly threat of wildfires locally, rebuilding may require billions of dollars

Annie, an overseas Chinese working in the tourism industry on Maui Island, was busy raising supplies for the stranded residents after seeing off the tourists. She told the Tide News reporter that Hawaii has a lot of tourists all year round, and June to August is the peak season for tourism. Wildfires have caused many tourists to cancel hotel reservations, which has had an impact on the local tourism industry.

Hawaii's accommodation resources have always been tight, and what worries Anne is that residents who have lost their homes or been evacuated may have difficulty finding accommodation. Later, she saw the news and learned that residents were resettled in sports venues, community centers, and churches; The evacuated tourists were settled on other islands in Hawaii.

Since this summer, approximately 288000 tourists have come to Maui Island for vacation. Its most famous tourist destination is the Halle Akara crater. In addition, there is a banyan tree over 150 years old, known as the "largest banyan tree in the world", and many tourists will rush to take photos.

Map screenshot

According to a report from Maoyi County, as of the morning of the 10th local time, 80% of the wildfires in Lahaina Town have been controlled, and 70% of the other two wildfires on Maoyi Island have been controlled. The controlled status of the other one is still under evaluation. Under the influence of three wildfires, Maui Island suffered heavy damage.

"Some of the burning areas are located in the central part of Maui Island, filled with hills and canyons, making it difficult for firefighters to enter," Anne told Tide News reporters. Regarding this fire, Green bluntly stated that although it will take time to understand the full extent of the damage, there is no doubt that the losses will reach billions of dollars. The reconstruction of Lahaina Town takes a long time, and almost all buildings need to be rebuilt.

On August 11th local time, US President Biden stated on his public social media account, "The federal government not only prays to the people of Hawaii, but also provides them with all the resources they need. We are increasing aid, resources, and personnel, and will do our best to help the state recover."

The National Weather Service of the United States also issued a warning on the 7th, stating that "the vegetation surface is very dry, coupled with strong winds and low humidity, there will be a great risk of fire on the evening of the 8th." The direct cause of the wildfire outbreak has not been determined, but the strong winds, low humidity environment, and arid vegetation have increased the destructive power of the wildfire.

According to Xinhua News Agency, as of 13:00 local time on the 11th, the wildfire has caused at least 67 deaths. The Maui wildfire has become the deadliest wildfire in the United States since the Camp Fire in California in 2018, and the number of fatalities may further increase.