Fatal Fires On Maui Prompt Evacuations, Assistance From Airlines — What to Know

10.08.2023 - 15:09 / travelandleisure.com / Josh Green / On Maui

A wildfire raging on the Hawaiian island of Maui is tearing through popular tourist areas, leading to dozens of deaths, halting flights, and prompting strong warnings for travelers to evacuate.

The Lahaina fire initially broke out early Tuesday and seemed contained, but hours later officials were met with a flare up, according to the county of Maui. Since then, the fire has spun out of control, burning more than 2,000 acres as gusty winds and dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts, according to Gov. Josh Green’s office. 

The death toll has since risen to at least 36 people, according to the government of Maui. 

“We have suffered a terrible disaster in the form of a wildfire that has spread widely across Maui and Hawai’i Counties as a result of very strong winds in the region and underlying drought conditions,” Green tweeted. 

On Wednesday evening, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority told Travel + Leisure all non-essential travelers were asked to leave the island and non-essential travel to Maui was “strongly discouraged.” Visitors were evacuated by bus from the popular Kaanapali area on Wednesday and taken directly to Maui’s Kahului Airport. The rescue efforts were expected to resume Thursday morning, according to the government.

Hawaiian Airlines tweeted it added extra flights to help evacuate people from the island, mostly flying them to nearby Honolulu. The airline was selling the seats for $19 through Friday “to facilitate urgent travel from Maui to Honolulu.”

“We continue to operate flights to and from Maui’s Kahului Airport in support of essential travel and are coordinating with the state, county and non-profits to transport first responders, equipment and supplies to Maui,” Hawaiian Airlines wrote. “Our Reservations line remains extremely busy, and we appreciate your patience. Guests with non-urgent requests are encouraged to refrain from calling in so that we can assist those with immediate travel needs.” 

Similarly, Southwest Airlines said it added additional flights as well as issued a travel waiver for flights to and from Maui, allowing scheduled travelers to rebook within two weeks.

“Our Heart is with Hawaii,” the airline tweeted. “We've added additional flights between the islands, and back to the mainland this week, to keep people and supplies moving.”

Travel to other Hawaiian islands, including Oahu and Kauai, is unaffected. 

Donations to help Maui residents affected by fires were being accepted online, the government noted, including through the Maui Strong Fund created by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and through the Maui United Way. People trying to locate a missing loved one were directed to call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS.