Wildfires burning across Maui prompt evacuations

[Hoodat]

CNN’s Weir: ‘We Haven’t Seen’ Promised Relief Efforts in Hawaii, ‘We’ve Got Guys Putting out Fires with Bottled Water’

Duh, that's because Democrats are in charge.  This should be old hat to you by now.

[Hoodat]

The Gov should call out the Nat'l Guard.....this is unbelievable!

The Governor is busily occupied with parceling up the new land he'll be taking over through eminent domain.

[cato potatoe]

Behold, an entire “state” governed worse than a blue city.  They were too cheap to bury the power lines, and too foolish to collect the mountain rains.  Cross your fingers Oahu is never struck by a hurricane.

[mystery-ak]

Report: Children Feared to Be a ‘Large Number’ of the Dead in Maui

Kristina Wong 16 Aug 2023

As officials continue identifying the number of dead from the Maui fires last week, children are feared to be a “large number” of the victims.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Hawaii State Representative Elle Cochran expects that the final death toll will be “at least several hundred people,” and that a “large portion of the deceased” might turn out to be children.

The paper reported that schools in and around Lahaina canceled classes when power went out earlier that morning, and that many families in the largely working-class community left their children at home or with older relatives while they went to work.

The story echoed a chilling unverified social media post that had been circulating among social media last week, as Americans began to learn of the devastation of the fires that began on the island last Tuesday.

Jessica Sill, a kindergarten teacher at Lahaina’s King Kamehameha III Elementary School, told the paper, “Our parents work one, two, three jobs just to get by and they can’t afford to take a day off.”

“Without school, there was nowhere for [kids] to go that day,” she said, adding that two of her former students lost a seven-year-old cousin, who was found alongside his family in a burned-out car.

Maui officials did not respond to requests for comment from the WSJ.

The paper did not identify the seven-year-old killed, but Hawaii News Now on August 13 reported that a family of four were found dead in a burned-out car near their home.

The outlet identified the victims as Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, their daughter Salote Takafua, and her son, Tony Takafua.

The family issued a statement that said, “On behalf of our family, we bid aloha to our beloved parents, Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, as well as our dear sister Salote Takafua and her son, Tony Takafua. The magnitude of our grief is indescribable, and their memories will forever remain etched in our hearts.”

So far, authorities have reported 106 confirmed dead, with less than a third of Lahaina searched.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/08/16/report-children-feared-to-be-a-large-number-of-the-dead-in-maui/

[Hoodat]

The paper reported that schools in and around Lahaina canceled classes when power went out earlier that morning, and that many families in the largely working-class community left their children at home or with older relatives while they went to work.

I haven't closely followed this story.  Was the power outage connected to the fire?

[bigheadfred]

I haven't closely followed this story.  Was the power outage connected to the fire?

Maui wildfires death toll climbs to 111, as focus turns to downed power lines

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/08/17/maui-wildfires-death-toll-110-power-lines/5371692239302/

[cato potatoe]

This person documented the conditions immediately prior to the fire, and during his escape.  I am guessing these winds are downsloping (bone dry), ~40 mph sustained, with gusts over 60.  There was damage to power lines on Front Street.  It's hard to understand why they did not switch off the power until the worst had subsided.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-KYfmH6_kw

[American Girl]

I recall a lot of Germans following the “powers that be” in the 1930s and 1940s.
Absolutely disgraceful.
Starting to wonder,
If there are more than meets
The eye going on here.
https://www.usasupreme.com/powers-that-be-responsible-new-footage-from-maui-fire-ground-zero-shows-hawaii-police-officer-shutting-down-citizen-donation-center-for-fire-victims/

[mystery-ak]

 Videos might show start of the Maui wildfire: Engulfed ‘in a matter of minutes’
By Olivia Land   
August 16, 2023 4:53pm

Dramatic, newly released videos show the moment a downed power line in Maui may have played a part in sparking the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.

Shane Treu, 49, filmed flames coming from a wooden power pole that snapped under high winds early Aug. 8 — just hours before the wildfire that has killed more than 100 people was confirmed as taking hold in now-devastated Lahaina.

“I heard ‘buzz, buzz’ … It was almost like somebody lit a firework,” the resort worker recalled of the live line sizzling and popping on dry grass outside his home.

“It just ran straight up the hill to a bigger pile of grass and then, with that high wind, that fire was blazing,” he said.

“In a matter of minutes, that whole place was just engulfed.”

Treu filmed three Facebook Live videos from about 6:40 a.m., starting with him trying to battle the blaze with a hose and then warning arriving emergency services about the live power line in the road.



more
https://nypost.com/2023/08/16/videos-possibly-show-start-of-the-devastating-maui-wildfire/

[mystery-ak]

Forensic expert who helped return 9/11 victims' remains to families heads to Maui to identify at least 110 killed by firestorm - and says process could take YEARS because bodies were incinerated

    Forensic anthropologist Dr. Robert Mann is director of the Forensic Science Academy at the Central Identification Laboratory on Oahu, Hawaii
    Mann is set to arrive on Maui on Thursday to assist with efforts to identify victims of last week's wildfires
    Mann runs the largest forensic skeletal lab in the world and has worked on cases involving Jeffrey Dahmler's victims, Vietnam war dead and 9/11

By Harriet Alexander For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:33 EDT, 16 August 2023 | Updated: 07:59 EDT, 17 August 2023

A forensic expert who gained fame identifying remains of 9/11 victims and those murdered by serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer will head to Maui to help ID remains from last week's deadly wildfires.

Dr. Robert Mann runs the Forensic Science Academy at the Central Identification Laboratory in Oahu, Hawaii, and is set to head to Maui on Thursday to help in identification efforts.

Mann's arrival comes as the death toll rises to 110, but the process of identifying the remains proves agonizingly slow - and Mann warned it could take years.

more
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12414797/Maui-forensic-anthropologist-robert-mann-dna.html

[mystery-ak]

Hawaii Agency Accused of Delaying Release of Water to Protect Maui Property

A state water agency in Hawaii has been accused of delaying the release of water from a traditional farm that landowners reportedly wanted to use to protect their property as the Maui wildfire spread last week.

According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) initially refused a request from West Maui Land, a real estate development company, to provide water to protect properties that were at risk in the area.

Fingers have been pointed at one official in particular, M. Kaleo Manuel, DLNR’s deputy director for water resource management.

The Honolulu Civil Beat reported:

    With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late.

    The dispute involved the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ water resource management division and West Maui Land Co., which manages agricultural and residential subdivisions in West Maui as well as Launiupoko Irrigation Co., Launiupoko Water Co., Olowalu Water Co. and Ha’iku Town Water Association.

    …

    According to the sources, Manuel wanted West Maui Land to get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm located downstream from the company’s property. Manuel eventually released water but not until after the fire had spread. It was not clear on Monday how much damage the fire did in the interim or whether homes were damaged.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/08/17/hawaii-agency-accused-of-delaying-release-of-water-to-protect-maui-property/

[mountaineer]

Meet M. Kaleo Manuel, the official who refused to release water in Maui, contributing to up to 106 deaths. A Hawaiian Studies major, Kaleo prefers a traditional, holistic "One Water" approach where water is revered, not used. Water requires "true conversations about equity."

https://twitter.com/jeremykauffman/status/1691856782031815133

[Hoodat]

Meet M. Kaleo Manuel, the official who refused to release water in Maui, contributing to up to 106 deaths. A Hawaiian Studies major, Kaleo prefers a traditional, holistic "One Water" approach where water is revered, not used. Water requires "true conversations about equity."

And there you have it.

[libertybele]

Meet M. Kaleo Manuel, the official who refused to release water in Maui, contributing to up to 106 deaths. A Hawaiian Studies major, Kaleo prefers a traditional, holistic "One Water" approach where water is revered, not used. Water requires "true conversations about equity."

https://twitter.com/jeremykauffman/status/1691856782031815133

 

[mystery-ak]

 7-year-old Maui boy burns to death in car alongside family while fleeing wildfires, one of many kids feared dead
By Snejana Farberov   
August 17, 2023 5:31pm

A 7-year-old Maui boy has been found burned to death along with his family inside an incinerated car – one of the many kids feared to be among at least 111 killed.

The harrowing loss was revealed by local kindergarten teacher Jessica Sill, who told the Wall Street Journal that she fears for students who may have been home alone during the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century because classes were canceled due to power outages.

Sill said two of her former students told her that they lost their 7-year-old cousin, who was found dead along with his relatives inside a burned-out car.

The dead boy’s name was not revealed, and it was not immediately clear if it was Tony Takafua, the 7-year-old boy previously identified as having burned to death in a car alongside his family as they tried to flee the flames.

So far, no children are among the first five victims officially identified out of at least 111 killed.

more
https://nypost.com/2023/08/17/7-year-old-maui-boy-burns-to-death-with-family-fleeing-fire/

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1692037772817621319

[mystery-ak]

 How tech billionaires with property in Hawaii are responding to Maui wildfires
By Ariel Zilber   
August 17, 2023 12:05pm

The devastating wildfires that have ravaged Maui have prompted billionaire tech moguls who have bought wide swaths of property in Hawaii to pitch in with charitable donations to help rebuild the devastated town of Lahaina.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel have all paid eight- and nine-figure sums to acquire land and property on the archipelago.

Bezos, who paid a reported $78 million for a 14-acre compound on Maui, has committed to the creation of a $100 million fund to help the island “get back on its feet,” his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, wrote in a recent Instagram post.

Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, announced on Facebook that the couple was donating an unspecific amount of money.

The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, the charity founded by the couple, cut a check for $400,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, according to Fortune.

more
https://nypost.com/2023/08/17/how-tech-billionaires-who-own-owns-on-hawaii-are-giving-to-maui-wildfire-relief/

[mystery-ak]

 Biden refuses to answer questions about Maui trip as wildfire death toll hits 111: ‘No, not now’
By Steven Nelson   
August 17, 2023 3:07pm

President Biden refused to comment Thursday on the wildfire tragedy in Maui as the death toll on the Hawaiian island climbed to 111 — saying, “No, not now” when asked about his planned trip despite facing harsh criticism earlier this week for a similar remark.

“Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip, sir?” a reporter asked Biden under the wing of Air Force One in Scranton, Pa., before the president paid his respects to Ellen Casey, the mother of Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) and widow of former Keystone State Gov. Bob Casey Sr.

“No, not now,” the 80-year-old president replied. “I’m going to be leaving and I’ll be there on Monday.”

“Why is it important that you go?” a reporter followed up.

Biden didn’t answer the second inquiry, instead saying “Thank you” as he turned away to end the exchange.

The president set off a media firestorm Sunday by saying “No comment” when asked about the deadliest US fire in more than a century as he left a Delaware beach.

Biden’s “No comment” drew widespread criticism because the job of president traditionally includes offering words of condolence and support in times of national tragedy.

more
https://nypost.com/2023/08/17/biden-skirts-question-about-maui-as-fire-death-toll-hits-111/

[Hoodat]

Tulsi Gabbard Blasts Biden-Harris Regime's Response to Maui Disaster

[Smokin Joe]

Tulsi Gabbard Blasts Biden-Harris Regime's Response to Maui Disaster

So the government response is even worse than we have been told.

[bigheadfred]

FJB!

[Polly Ticks]

https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1692037772817621319

Obama.  Pfffft. His foundation doesn't exactly have a stellar charity scorecard rating.

The company that I buy soap from in Hawaii has a link on their front page to a "Maui Strong" disaster relief page set up by Hawaii Community Foundation.  Per their webpage, "HCF will not be collecting a fee for donations to the Maui Strong Fund; 100 percent of the funds will be distributed for community needs."

https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong

[Cyber Liberty]

Obama.  Pfffft. His foundation doesn't exactly have a stellar charity scorecard rating.

The company that I buy soap from in Hawaii has a link on their front page to a "Maui Strong" disaster relief page set up by Hawaii Community Foundation.  Per their webpage, "HCF will not be collecting a fee for donations to the Maui Strong Fund; 100 percent of the funds will be distributed for community needs."

https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong

I will never send a dime to anything with the name "O'Bastard" on it, he'll steal it.  Your link sounds a lot better.

[Smokin Joe]

I will never send a dime to anything with the name "O'Bastard" on it, he'll steal it.  Your link sounds a lot better.

Yep. Clinton Foundation Mk II.

I am waiting to see how the Government tries to grab the funds the Maui Strong folks collect.

There seems to be a plan in this, to uproot generations long occupancies that would likely never have sold out, for pennies on the dollar, to sell to big money folks to develop for inane profit.
 
If enough very rich people move some place, the people who work in the service industry and trades can no longer afford to live there.

Either that, or for even a typically incompetent Democrat Government, this was far more FUBAR than usual.

[Right_in_Virginia]

DC_Draino
@DC_Draino

Resigns?

RESIGNS?!

How about *arrested* for negligent manslaughter of hundreds of men, women, and children

You had ONE job

Election Wizard
@ElectionWiz
·2h

BREAKING (AP) — Maui’s emergency services director resigns amid criticism for not using sirens to alert residents to killer wildfire.

9:40 PM · Aug 17, 2023