Flames Traveled a Mile Every Minute on Maui
While Hawaii people lamented the loss of life caused by ferocious wildfires, officials issued warnings that the entire human and environmental toll had not yet been determined and that the recovery process from the devastation caused by flames that raced a mile per minute had only just started. Twenty dogs and scores of humans will search burned-out cars and homes for the deceased as they go through neighbourhoods reduced to ash. This wildfire in the United States has claimed 96 lives so far, making it the worst in almost a century. According to an update from Maui County late Sunday, two fires, including the one that destroyed the ancient town of Lahaina, are still not entirely out.
Authorities have issued a warning that harmful byproducts may still be present even when the fire has subsided, particularly in drinking water, as a result of the flames’ release of noxious gases. Additionally, a lot of individuals just don’t have a place to go home to, so the government plans to lodge them in hotels and vacation homes.
Nearly every structure in the 13,000-person town of Lahaina was destroyed by the flames that rushed across it on Tuesday. This left a grid of grey wreckage squeezed between the clear ocean and lush green hills. According to the county, that fire is 85% contained, compared to 60% for the Upcountry fire.
READ MORE: How Could Village Fire on Maui Kill More Than 90 People?
After all the loss of property, loss of life and sorrow, there are still those humans out there who want cash out on human suffering! Maui residents are reporting that investors and realtors pray on victims offering them cash for their ravaged properties.
As more videos appear on social media, it shows how terrible the situation really was on Maui. While fire was raging winds of up to 70 miles per hour were blasting across the island moving the heat and fire at a devastating speed.
And what about those sirens and warnings that never happen?
Many survivors said in interviews that they were not warned in advanceāeither by sirens or other meansāand only became aware of their situation when they saw flames or heard explosions close by.
If those reports are true, this was a major blunder by the authorities that surely otherwise could have prevented at least some loss of life if not all of them. What happened there, why did all the means of warning people go silent that night? Sirens did not sound, cell and radio towers did not work as well. According to survivor reports, they had no idea that fire was spreading until they saw it.
