KAHULUI: Fast-moving wildfires have claimed at least 36 lives in the US tourist paradise of Hawaii, where rescuers raced on Thursday to evacuate more people from the worst-hit island of Maui.

Brushfires on Maui’s west coast — fuelled by high winds from a hurricane passing to the south — broke out on Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.

The quick-moving flames forced many to flee into the ocean to escape, officials said.

President Joe Biden declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, as residents said they needed more help and feared it would take years for the town to recover.

Biden declares fires a ‘major’ disaster, unblocks federal aid

Some are calling on Biden to declare a national emergency related to climate change in order to access more administrative powers to tackle the crisis.

When asked on Thursday if the Hawaii wildfires had altered the president’s thinking on the issue, White House official John Kirby told CNN that a decision has not yet been made.

“But for all intents and purposes, he’s treating this with all the due gravity and the seriousness that the climate crisis deserves,” he said.

US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN that initial reports indicated there “were around 100 that had to enter the water”. Kirksey said helicopters dispatched to the area faced extremely low visibility due to the smoke, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to retrieve more than 50 people from the water.

Officials said 36 people had been confirmed dead, with the toll expected to rise as searches continue.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from Maui, with plans for more flights out of the main airport in Kahului on Thursday. Maui county has requested that visitors leave “as soon as possible,” and has organised buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023