Wildfire — Maui Leeward West, Hawaii

2023-08-08 to 2023-08-16 · Maui Leeward West, Hawaii

Event narrative

A wildfire near Lahaina was reported at 6:40 am HST and was contained within 3 hours. Another fire was reported around 3:30pm and prompted evacuation orders by 4:30 pm. However, power lines downed by the damaging winds closed roads and restricted evacuation routes. Wildfire continued to spread rapidly and quickly became out of control. The Coast Guard rescued people entering the Pacific Ocean who were escaping the fire. They rescued seventeen people including two children and assisted forty survivors on shore. At around 11:52 pm the Hawaii National guard was deployed on Maui as wildfires continued to burn out of control. At 1:20 AM on August 9, over 14,000 customers were without power, and at 5:03 AM, the fire damaged much of the historic banyan tree that was imported to Maui in 1873 from India. At 9:25 am on August 9, over 2,100 people were seeking refuge in Maui shelters, a number that would increase throughout the month, reaching a peak of 8,000 in September. At 12:45 pm on August 9, more than 14,000 people were transported off Maui with another 14,500 waiting to be moved. The fire burned 2,170 acres and destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina, including over 2,200 structures burned mostly or completely to the ground. There were 102 confirmed fatalities and at least 32 injuries. The fire also destroyed about 4,000 cars, of which 1,000 had been abandoned on public roadways. As of late October, the Coast Guard had recovered and removed 86 vessels from Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, in addition to 9,400 gallons of petroleum products and 3,300 pounds of hazardous materials.

Wider weather episode

On August 8, several wildfires ignited over Maui and the Big Island. Very strong trade winds, low relative humidity, and ongoing drought conditions across leeward sections led to rapid fire growth and spread. The fires prompted several mandatory evacuations and emergency proclamations. One wildfire destroyed the town of Lahaina, Maui, killing 102 people and injuring at least 32.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1118193. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.