Lahaina Burned To The Ground!

[OnMyWay]

This is shocking to me.  I have been to Lahaina years ago, and it was a great little mellow town.  It did have a lot of older wood structures and that was part of it's charm.

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by OnMyWay

[JJReyes]

Our son is receiving emails and text messages from all over asking if he is okay.  Some find it difficult to imagine he resides in Oahu, a different island. 

The devastation is located in a limited area, but most of the guests at different Maui resorts left either to visit other islands or go home.  These resorts are now advertising 50% to 60% room discounts fearing a plunge in their tourism dependent economy.  

[Joey G]

The whole west side of the island is shut down and I can guarantee there are no resorts offering discounts at half price just a few days into this. Some resorts are looking to host people who lost the homes. 

[JJReyes]

23 minutes ago, Joey G said:

The whole west side of the island is shut down and I can guarantee there are no resorts offering discounts at half price just a few days into this. Some resorts are looking to host people who lost the homes. 

Possibly the Kaanapali area will be used as temporary accommodations, but our son and his wife who reside on Oahu have seen promotional ads for Maui.  By the way, who will pay resorts to host people who lost their homes?  Maybe okay for a few days.

I was scheduled to go to Los Angeles as a student about a year after the Watts riots.  Relatives and friends were frantically telling me to cancel the move fearing for my safety.  One of my early activities was to visit Watts using a public bus.  Because of the distance on surface roads, it took me nearly two hours.  They were some of the nicest people on the bus.  The point is media left the impression that all of Los Angeles was burning and racial tensions were at a peak.  As tragic as the fire in Lahaina might be, not all areas of Maui are burned.  

True.  Some locals are telling visitors to get out.  Part of it is anti-tourism sentiment.  Joe G, since your location is Oahu, has the state government said anything about visitors staying away from Maui?

Edited August 12, 2023 by JJReyes

[Joey G]

3 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Some locals are telling visitors to get out.

Actually the state and local governments have asked all non-essential visitors to leave Maui.   If anyone is selling Maui as a place to go to take advantage of discounts right now because the people there are worried about business... they are scamming. Once things make a turn for the better... people will pay a premium to visit... they always have.

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, Joey G said:

Actually the state and local governments have asked all non-essential visitors to leave Maui.   If anyone is selling Maui as a place to go to take advantage of discounts right now because the people there are worried about business... they are scamming. Once things make a turn for the better... people will pay a premium to visit... they always have.

Thanks.  We will be passing twice through Maui on cruises.  The first is a round trip to the Hawaiian Islands.  The second is a cruise to Tahiti.  It supposed to stop offshore from Lahaina and then use of tenders.  I assume they will now change the port-of-call to Kahului.  Our son is helping with organizing relief from the Waianae Coast.  He is a high school teacher in Nanakuli.

[Freebie]

I also stayed there several years back. I remember the Old Jail and I think was a small museum nearby there very well, as it was full of mementos from when sailors would stop in Maui after a whaling season and they left scrimshaw ( whale bone carvings)  and other items there.  Was a very cute easy going town. The drone videos are horrific, showing 90% of houses burned to the ground, just the pool left. And then occasionally theres one rare  house that managed to survive

[Lee]

Church in Maui miraculously spared from devastating Hawaii wildfires

The Maria Lanakila Catholic Church is still standing, according to photos and videos posted by the few residents able to access the ruins of the town.

 

https://metro.co.uk/2023/08/11/hawaii-wildfires-catholic-church-on-maui-miraculously-spared-from-fires-19322124/

[JJReyes]

Maui is Open.  Two days ago, the governor of Hawaii and the mayor of Maui held a press conference.  With the exception of certain areas in West Maui, the island is open to tourism.  But they are requesting visitors to observe kindness and respect.  Some are trying to access the devasted areas out of a sense of morbid curiosity.  

[Kingpin]

Once again the "theory" turns real