The wildfires began on Tuesday night as powerful winds from distant Hurricane Dora – hundreds of miles to the south-west – fanned the flames on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Big Island.
The situation on Maui, in particular, has worsened – officials say at least 36 people have died there and more than 270 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. The popular town of Lahaina is known to have been badly hit.
Teams are working as hard as possible to put out the fires and save those at risk. The extent of the damage is not yet known and Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke estimates it could take “months” to have the full picture.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the state of Hawaii.
The declaration means the federal government will provide funding to assist in the wake of the wildfires.
Aid will go to both state and local recovery efforts.
Affected individuals in Maui will be able to access funds for assistance like temporary housing grants, home repairs, and low-cost loans to help with uninsured property losses.
Source: BBC
