Fires fanned by the winds of a distant hurricane devastated parts of Hawaii's Maui and Big Island on Wednesday, forcing some residents to evacuate and turning beloved tourist destinations on the tropical islands into flaming infernos.
Some Maui residents jumped into the ocean to escape the smoke and fire conditions, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue them, according to a Maui County press release. The American Red Cross opened an evacuation center in Maui High School, the county said.
"I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it," he told Reuters in an interview at the airport in Maui. "And I just ran out and helped everyone I could along the way." "Everyone who comes to Maui, the one place they go is Front Street," he told the paper, describing the central two blocks of the street as the "economic heart" of the island. "I don't know what's left," he added.The National Weather Service said the current brush fires arise from a mix of conditions: dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity.
In Maui, the fires also destroyed parts of Kula, a residential area in the inland, mountainous Upcountry region, the proclamation said.
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