Tharran Gaines, MODR Public Information Team
One doesn’t expect a Hawaiian island like Maui, with its lush vegetation and beautiful waterfalls, to experience wildfires that take lives and destroy whole towns. However, that has been the case where fires fueled by Category 4 Hurricane Dora have already taken 36 lives and burned much of the historic town of Lahaina, located on the west side of Maui, to the ground.
The fires, which are scattered throughout Maui, as well as the Big Island of Hawaii, have been called the state’s worst natural disaster in 30 years. On Maui alone, over 270 structures have been damaged or destroyed; 11,000 people have been evacuated, and more than 50 people have had to be rescued from the ocean where they escaped the blazes.
To help support this effort, go to modr.org/give and select Hawaii Fires from the drop-down menu, or mail your donation to: Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief, 400 E. High St., Jefferson City, MO 65101, and note that it is for Hawaii relief.