Hawaii Authorities Evacuate Area of Lahaina Due to Brush Fire Near Site of Deadly Blaze

AP

15:52 JST, August 27, 2023

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — An evacuation order following a brush fire that burned 10 acres (4 hectares) on Maui was lifted by emergency officials Saturday.

The fire prompted Maui authorities to temporarily evacuate residents Saturday from a neighborhood of Lahaina, just a few miles from the site recently ravaged by blazes, before firefighters brought it under control.

The Maui County Emergency Management Agency announced in a social media post that the evacuation ended at 5 p.m. and residents could return home.

Firefighters doused flames from above using a helicopter and with hoses on the ground, said John Heggie, a spokesperson for Maui County’s Joint Information Center.

Maui County said in an online post that the fire no longer posed an active threat but firefighters were working in the area and evacuees should stay clear until it was safe to return.

The evacuation order had covered a small number of homes in the hills above Kaanapali resort hotels. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected.

At least 115 people were killed and 2,000 structures destroyed when a wildfire tore through downtown Lahaina on Aug. 8. Minimal rains have pushed the area into drought.

That fire was exacerbated by strong trade winds fueled in part by Hurricane Dora, which passed 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the south of Maui.

The National Weather Service forecast breezes of 3 to 8 mph (4.8 to 12 kph) for Lahaina on Saturday afternoon.