Planning to Visit Hawaii? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Wildfires.

09.08.2023 - 22:39 / nytimes.com / What You Need

Large wildfires burning across the islands of Maui and Hawaii, fueled by intense winds, turned scenic beach destinations into smoky, catastrophic scenes on Wednesday. The fast-moving flames have scorched hundreds of acres, destroyed homes and businesses, and prompted a series of evacuation orders, road closures, and power and cellphone service outages. At least six people have died.

The fires are most intense along the western coast of Maui, according to local news reports, with the historic town center of Lahaina severely damaged.

Declaring a state of emergency in all counties, the Hawaiian state government has asked travelers to leave West Maui as soon as possible and is discouraging travel to the affected areas.

Here’s what travelers need to know.

According to the local news outlet Hawaii News Now, at least three wildfires are burning on Maui, including one in Lahaina, a major tourist destination on Maui, and the upcountry section of the island. There are at least three blazes on the Big Island, in North Kohala and South Kohala, which includes the Mauna Kea beach area, according to Big Island Now.

Nonessential air travel is being discouraged by the Hawaiian authorities. Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke issued two emergency proclamations authorizing several actions, including activating the National Guard.

All travelers should monitor their flight status online or using the airline’s app before departing for the airport.

As of early Wednesday morning local time, Kahului Airport on Maui remains open and was sheltering about 1,800 travelers, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said. On Wednesday, most flights were operating as scheduled, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking site, but some carriers are reporting inbound cancellations and delays. The two airports on the Big Island, Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, also remain open.

United Airlines, according to Josh Freed, a company spokesman, canceled all reservations on its inbound flights to Kahului Airport, “so our planes can fly to empty to Maui and be used as passenger flights back to the mainland.”

“Our teams are monitoring the situation closely and adjusting our schedule so we can keep serving our customers under difficult conditions,” he wrote in an email. United is offering refunds for passengers who want to cancel their flights.

American Airlines has also canceled reservations on inbound flights to Kahului Airport, said Curtis Blessing, a company spokesman. The carrier is rebooking passengers at no charge, as long as certain conditions are met.

Other major carriers were operating their scheduled flights but are offering a variety of options to affected travelers who want to revise their plans.

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