Maui brush fires break out as Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii
By Ray Sanchez and Natasha Chen, CNN
Updated 4:56 PM ET, Fri August 24, 2018
A brush fire near Lahaina's Kauaula Valley in Maui has forced evacuations.
(CNN)A second brush fire broke out in Maui Friday after an earlier blaze near the Lahaina resort area forced evacuations as Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii, officials said.
The second fire is believed to have started near Kaanapali in West Maui, according to Rod Antone, Maui County communications director.
There was no information on the size or severity of the second blaze, he said.
An overnight brush fire, near Lahaina's Kauaula Valley, led to the evacuation of more than 100 homes, Antone said.
The initial fire has consumed about 300 acres, according to CNN affiliates KHON and Hawaii News Now.
Fire officials reported the wind-whipped blaze was approaching a gas station after crossing Honoapiilani Highway near Dickenson Street, according to a Facebook post from the county.
"It's going to get worse before it gets better," said Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa, according to CNN affiliate KHON.
"We are not all clear at this point. We're still possible going to get hit with some high surf as well as heavy wind conditions."
A nearby storm shelter has been moved from Lahaina Intermediate School to the Lahaina Civic Center, the alert said. Authorities have begun evacuating residents in the area, and some roads have closed.
At least one person suffered serious burns and about 4,000 Maui Electric customers have lost power, Hawaii News Now reported.
The brush fire in #Lahaina is massive. 100s of homes evacuated and multiple homes lost. Must cover 100+ acres. #hawaii #maui #hurricanelane #fire #puunoa #launiupoko
Of Home
A Twitter user named Stephen Lai tweeted a photo of a tower of gray smoke rising into the night sky with the message: "So this is currently happening on our last night in Maui...and no I'm not talking about #HurricaneLane it's a fire in Lahaina."
So this is currently happening on our last day in Maui...and no I’m not talking about #HurricaneLane it’s a fire in Lahaina @Hawaii_EMA @CountyofMaui @mauipd best wishes first responders
Emergency personnel responded to reports of a brush fire about 1 a.m., officials said.
The cause of the fires has not been determined, Antone said. No information was available on damage to buildings.
Cell phone service in the area is sporadic because of the storm. The alert said customers may not be able to make or receive phone calls in the Lahaina area.
The storm's most powerful winds are expected to whip some islands later Friday.
The storm, which has weakened to a Category 2, unleashed landslides and flooding as its outer rain bands hit parts of Hawaii's Big Island. More of the same is anticipated on the rest of the islands into the weekend.
Lane's powerful center "will move over, or dangerously close" to parts of the islands Oahu, Maui, Lanai and Molokai late Friday, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane conditions, including winds of at least 74 mph, will start there Friday, the Hurricane Center said. The winds could complicate the firefighting effort, according to CNN meteorologist Judson Jones.
CNN's Keith Allen contributed to this report.
- end quote from:
Maui brush fires break out as Hurricane Lane approaches HawaiiCNN59 mins ago
Lahaina Brush Fire Results in Road Closures, EvacuationsMaui Now9 hours ago
Firefighters battle wind-whipped brush fire in West Maui; 100 homes evacuatedHawaii News Now2 hours agoMore for fire in lahaina today Videos
0:35Weather Lahaina brush fire forces evacuations on Maui Lahaina brush ...USA Today - 5 hours ago0:36Lahaina brush fire forces evacuations on Maui | VideosAssociated PressShoreline Media Group - 6 hours ago0:07West Maui cut off by large brush fires; Lahaina emergency shelters ...Star-AdvertiserYouTube - 2 hours ago0:36Lahaina brush fire forces evacuations on Maui | VideoAssociated PressHartford City News Times - 6 hours agoWeb results
Lahaina brush fire on Maui spreads as Hurricane Lane ... - CNN.com
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/24/us/maui-hawaii-brush-fire/index.html59 mins ago - Maui brush fires break out as Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii ... A brush fire nearLahaina's Kauaula Valley in Maui has forced evacuations. (CNN) A second brush .... Bankrate CD rates skyrocket - Lock in your rate today ...Firefighters battle wind-whipped brush fire in West Maui; 100 ho ...
www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38954656/brush-fire-in-lahaina-prompts-evacuations2 hours ago - Firefighters are battling two wind-whipped brush fires in West Maui, one of which has prompted evacuations and road closures.... Around 5:50 a.m., firefighters had reported that the fire had jumped Honoapiilani Highway near Dickenson Street and was approaching Aloha Gas Station. Hurricane Lane Live Updates: New Threat as Wind Drives 2 Fires on ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/us/hawaii-hurricane-lane-updates.html59 mins ago - Officials said two brush fires had broken out in West Maui, prompting the evacuation of at least 100 ... The first brush fire in Lahaina spread quickly, turning the sky a deep orange overnight and forcing the ... California Today.
No comments:
Post a Comment