Hawaii: Historic church unscathed even as wildfires level Maui

A historic church in Lahaina in the Maui County of Hawaii has miraculously escaped the wildfire, reported New York Post. The church is reportedly still standing unscathed even when fire ripped through Maui, killing more than 80 people. The death toll is feared to increase.

New York Post reported that Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, which first opened in 1846, was seen in a TikTok video. It was not damaged and was still standing. The videos were being shared on social media.

HAWAII

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church completely unharmed by fire while everything around it is burnt to the ground. pic.twitter.com/WCsw9b4U9T

“Basically what we know is the fact that all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing, as is the rectory,” said Terrence Watanabe, pastor of the nearby parish of St. Anthony’s. He was quoted by The Pillar.

Deadliest fire in more than a century

The death toll at the time of publishing this story was 89. This has made Maui wildfires the deadliest wildfires in the US in more than a century.

Watch | Hawaii scarred by deadly Maui wildfires

On Saturday (August 13), search teams with cadaver dogs went through the ruins of Lahaina. The officials took estimate of the damage for days after the blazing fires engulfed the historic town destroying buildings and melting cars.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has estimated that the cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at USD 5.5 billion. More than 2200 structures have been damaged and more than 2100 acres have been burned.

Governor Josh Green warned on Saturday that death toll due to fire is likely to rise. He was talking in a press conference.

Officials vowed to examine the state's emergency notification systems after some residents questioned whether more could have been done to warn people before the fire overtook their homes. Some were forced to jump into the Pacific Ocean to escape.

Also Read | Maui wildfires: Hawaii attorney general opens probe as death toll climbs to 80

Reuters reported that sirens placed around the island, intended to warn of impending natural disasters, never sounded. There were widespread power and cellular outages which prevented people from getting alert in any other forms.

Anne Lopez, the state's attorney general, said she was launching review of decision-making both before and during the fire.

Local officials have described a nightmarish confluence of factors, including communications network failures, powerful wind gusts from an offshore hurricane and a separate wildfire dozens of miles away, that made it nearly impossible to coordinate in real time with the emergency management agencies that would typically issue warnings and evacuation orders.

Maui wildfires have now become the worst natural disaster in history.

(With inputs from agencies)

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