Emergency teams continue to search for survivors this Thursday (10) on the island of Maui, Hawaii, where wildfires fueled in part by the winds of a distant hurricane have already claimed at least 36 lives.
The fire, one of the deadliest in the United States in decades, forced Maui authorities to evacuate 11,000 tourists, the lifeblood of the local economy. The flames burned with such intensity that at least a dozen people jumped into the Pacific Ocean, where they were later rescued by the Coast Guard.
Here are details about the incident:
• Authorities are strongly discouraging people from traveling to Maui while the crisis continues. Another 1,500 tourists were expected to be evacuated from the island on Thursday, via Kahului Airport.
• Wildfires have become more intense and frequent in the American West and Hawaii due to climate change. This week’s fires appear to have been exacerbated by winds associated with a hurricane that passed hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean, although the exact causes are still unclear. Winds are expected to decrease on Thursday.
• The fires have been largely contained, but they still produce smoke and ash. The island opened two additional evacuation shelters on Wednesday night. Thirty members of the U.S. Army arrived in Maui on Wednesday night to assist in the search for survivors.
• Electricity and phone service have gone down in parts of Maui, including Lahaina. About 11,000 customers across Hawaii are without power on Thursday, according to poweroutage.us, which compiles utility data.