It is the summer time and it is that time of year again. Yes Maui has beautiful summers but one downside, one of the few are the brush fires. Last year, there was a brush fire in Lahaina that shut down the town. Residents were evacuated and their homes were left without water for a day and electricity did not work for nearly a week. Maui brush fires are a threat worth worrying about.
This day on July 11, 2019, there is a large brush fire that in different parts of Maui. One large brush fire in particular is affecting residents and visitors alike.
A major brush fire fueled by high winds in Maui’s central valley burned more than 1,000 acres and prompted evacuations Thursday evening. The fire, which was reported just after 10:40 a.m. The fire jumped Kuihelani Highway, shutting down a stretch of the roadway. Around 3 p.m. local time, county officials ordered residents in north Kihei and Maalaea to evacuate. Flights were even diverted from Kahului Airport, which was running on generator power. Many animals were evacuated from the Maui Humane Society to Maui High School.
My Perspective
During this time, I was at work and surprised by the news. My coworker had mentioned seeing smoke in the sky but he was not too concerned. If you are a Maui resident, you realize smoke in the sky can be a result of sugar cane burning. The sugar cane industry has died down in recent years. So I didn’t think to much of the smoke earlier that day. However, another coworker of mine assured me that the fire was a serious matter.
As a result, I had to leave work early. I work a few miles away from the fire in Kahului and I live 20 miles away in Lahaina. I wanted to leave work early to make sure the roads were open so I could get back home. As I mentioned, Maalaea residents have been evacuated and the road home goes through that area. As I drove home, one side of the lane had traffic bumper to bumper. Meanwhile, my drive back was quick and painless, likely due to everyone scrambling to drive around the area with the fires.
Despite the crazy fire, I got home unscathed while many Kihei and Maalaea residents are evacuated and concerned about their homes. This Maui brush fire was a crazy one. As of this writing, I had heard of no residential homes affected by the fire which is good news. One consolation prize if you can think of one is the beautiful sunset that was affected by the fire.
Conclusion
As the day ends for me, I know the firefighters have a long night waiting for them. As someone, who’s neighborhood was saved by Maui firefighters last year, I will always appreciate their hard work and sacrifice for our community. Mahalo.
Have you ever had to deal with a brush fire? Have you ever had a brush fire in the place you were vacationing in?
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