American and United airlines canceling Maui-bound flights
From CNN's Pete Muntean
American and United airlines are canceling flights to Maui’s Kahului Airport due to wildfires.
“Given the current situation, all flights to OGG are canceled for today,” American spokesperson Curtis Blessing told CNN. “We are still operating the majority of flights out of OGG today to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so.”
United Airlines also said it is canceling all inbound flights to the airport. The airline said planes will fly empty to Maui and will fly passengers back to the mainland.
"Our teams aremonitoring the situation closely and adjusting our schedule so we can keep serving our customers under difficult conditions. We’re emphasizing safety as always and checking on the welfare of our employees on Maui," United told CNN.
FlightAware data shows 7% of all inbound flights to Kahului have been canceled Wednesday.
Hawaiian Airlines said it is operating its full flight schedule in and out of Maui and has added flights between Honolulu and Kahului on Wednesday.
The airline said the additional flights are "to accommodate departures out of Maui, as well as support emergency response efforts."
"We are also offering reduced $19 fares out of Maui to facilitate urgent travel needs," the airline said in astatement.
"We are working closely with the state of Hawaiʻi to support the transportation of first responders and supplies and help with the overall emergency response as best as we can," the statement said.
Earlier, Hawaii state officials discouraged nonessential travel to the island.
Fires across Maui are not yet contained, mayor says
As of this morning, most of the fires on Maui are not yet contained, Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
He said that the Kula fire, "which is about 1,100 acres," has still not been contained, while the Lahaina fire continues to have flare-ups and is not yet under control.
Bissen also said that there is a fire in Kihei as well.
US military and National Guard sending helicopters and personnel to fight fires
The Hawaii military is providing two Blackhawk helicopters to help fight the wildfires that are burning in several parts of the Big Island and Maui.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, the Adjutant General of the Hawaii State Department of Defense, said these helicopters have water buckets that hold thousands of gallons of water to help suppress the fires
Additionally, another helicopter with a smaller water bucket is also being deployed and another is on standby if it is needed, Hara said.
The Hawaii National Guard dispatched two helicopters to Maui, according to Hara. One has already landed and is in coordination with the fire department, he said.
A special unit that is trained in search and rescue operations is also being sent to Maui, Hara said.
Cell service remains "very limited" in western Maui, county official says
Western Maui 911 services remain "very limited" as wildfires impact cell service in the area, according to Mahina Martin, chief spokesperson for Maui County.
"The cell towers, unfortunately have been out," she told CNN's Jake Tapper Wednesday. "That's been very problematic."
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said officials have been utilizing satellites to communicate with providers on the west side of Maui to restore power to the area.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said strong winds have downed 29 utility poles and that fiber optic cables have been affected.
Some context: It could take days or even weeks to get the networks back up and running. Althoughstrong windscan sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. Fire, however, complicates the issue.
“When the fires get too close to cell sites, they will obviously burn equipment, antennas, and feedlines,” said Glenn O’Donnell, vice president of research at market research firm Forrester. “In extreme cases, they will also weaken the towers, leading some to collapse. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”
If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore. But if carriers are able and prepared to do restorations with mobile backup units, it could bring limited service back within hours, O’Donnell said. Wireless carriers often bring in COWs (Cells On Wheels), COLTs (Cells On Light Trucks), and GOaTs (Generators on Trailers) in emergencies toprovide backup servicewhen cell towers go down.
Impossible to estimate extent of wildfire damage until flames are put out, local official says
It is impossible to know the extent of the damage caused by wildfires in Hawaii because the flames continue to make their way across parts of the Big Island and Maui, a local official said.
“It’s impossible to know that number right now without having done an assessment," Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
The main focus of officials and first responders is to “save lives and preserve lives,” he said. The secondary focus is to try to save property —both objectives, fire departments are working very hard to do. They are working 24-hour shifts battling the blazes, he said.
“Because the fires are not out yet we do not have a number or total that we can give right now," Bissen Jr. said.
State leaders have been in communication with the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. FEMA will be the agency helping Hawaii assess the damage when appropriate, she said.
“This is not going to be a short journey. It’s going to take weeks and maybe months to assess the full damage,” Luke said.
Officials discourage nonessential travel to Maui
Nonessential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged as unprecedented wildfires affect the area, according to Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation.
Approximately 2,000 people stayed overnight at the airport in Maui, Sniffen said Wednesday at a news conference.
"We made sure we processed them this morning," he said. "We're working with our airline partners on all of that."
He noted that another 4,000 visitors want to leave the island from the west side.
Airports in Maui are still "operating efficiently," he said, and the Kahekili Highway is open so that people can get into town and to the airport area.
He said information on road closures will continue to be updated on the Hawaii State Department of Transportation website.
The number of businesses impacted is going to be high, Maui mayor says
The number of businesses impacted by the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, is going to be quite high, Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
"We don't have that exactnumber just yet.Again, we're still in theassessment phase this morning now that we have light, so Idon't want to take a guess atthe number.But it is quite — it is going tobe a high number," he said during a news briefing Wednesday.
He said that power is still out in the Lahaina area, approximately 30 poles were down.
"So, we have not yet been able torestore that to get a betteridea ... the fire is still goingon," the mayor said.
More than 2,000 people in shelters with several unaccounted for, Maui mayor says
More than 2,000 people are now in shelters in Maui,Mayor RichardBissen Jr. said during a news briefing Wednesday.
Bissen noted that many "dwellings,businesses, structures, thathave been burned —many of them to theground" and people have gone to shelters, including many schools that have shut down to accommodate the influx.
"We have over 2,100 people in shelters. Within those shelters, Imentioned to you — and several thatare unaccounted for in the sensethat they are in their cars and did not come into the actualshelter," he said.
At least 6 people dead in Hawaii wildfires, Maui mayor says
At least six people have been killed by wildfires in Hawaii, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.
Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, he said, warning that the number of people killed could go up as more information becomes available.
At least six other people were injured, Bissen said. Three of those were burn-related, he said. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
Many structures have been destroyed, several of them burnt "to the ground," Bissen said.
