As Hurricane Dora's winds continue to fuel wildfires throughout Hawaii, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke has issued an emergency proclamation on Gov. Josh Green's behalf.
Luke told a Hawaii television station, "We are closely following the wildfires caused by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora ... The safety of our residents is paramount, and this emergency proclamation will activate the Hawai'i National Guard to support emergency responders in the impacted communities."
The mandate will be in effect until August 15.
As Acting Governor on behalf of @govhawaii, I signed an emergency proclamation to activate the National Guard and authorize appropriate emergency actions to respond to the wildfires in Maui and Hawaiʻi Counties.
— Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke (@lgsylvialuke) August 9, 2023
Full text: https://t.co/0y8qJr2Fqa https://t.co/sdIsAZIyH1 pic.twitter.com/9YZYCkC9Op
Hurricane Winds Ignite Wildfires
Fox News reported that hundreds of acres have burnt in the North Kohala, South Kohala, Kula, and Lahaina regions of Hawaii and Maui, respectively, prompting evacuations and the closure of highways and schools.
Luke has the full backing of Green, who is now away on business. "My thoughts are with the residents and businesses affected by Hurricane Dora," said Green.
By declaring a state of emergency, the governor has authorized the deployment of the Hawaii National Guard and the use of additional funds from the Major Disaster Fund. Moreover, it has granted emergency alert and warning authority to the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the administrator of Emergency Management and mobilized state personnel to combat the fires.
This announcement comes as the weather has made it difficult to put out the fires. Firefighters have found roads blocked by downed trees and power lines. Helicopters have been unable to drop water on the fires from the air or collect more accurate data on the sizes of the fires due to strong winds, according to County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin, who spoke to the AP News.
As per Hawaiian Electric, the local energy services company, almost 13,000 people in Maui did not have power as of Tuesday night, August 8.
"It's definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it's multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas," Martin stated.
Maui County Under State of Emergency
In light of the fires, Mayor Richard Bissen of Maui County also declared a state of emergency.
The American Red Cross has declared that it has set up an evacuation center at Maui High School. The organization is also providing personnel for emergency shelters in Kihei and Lahaina, as well as Pukalani's Hannibal Tavares Community Center.
West Maui residents were evacuated on Tuesday night. Twelve persons in the ocean were rescued by the Hawaii Pacific Coast Guard off Lahaina after the Coast Guard responded to areas threatened by flames.
A fireman who responded to the blaze in West Maui was evacuated to Maui Memorial Hospital with smoke inhalation injuries. His health is stable at this time.
Warnings of high winds and red flag conditions indicating the risk of wildfires have not been lifted.
