The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu on Friday said it has not yet received reports on Filipino fatalities in the wildfires on
Hawaii’s Maui Island.
Consul Pamela F. Duria-Bailon stressed that as of August 10, no Filipino fatalities have been reported to the Philippine Consulate
General there.
“The Consulate continues to be in touch with local authorities on the matter,” she said in a statement.
In an advisory posted on Facebook, the Consulate called Filipinos in the areas affected by the wildfires “to take precautions, evacuate their homes if ordered, and to regularly monitor updates from local authorities.”
Filipinos affected by the wildfires were encouraged to contact the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu through its emergency hotline
(808) 253-9446 for assistance. “The Consulate is in touch with local authorities and closely monitoring the wildfires and the situation of Filipino nationals in the affected areas,” it said.
According to Hawaii Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke, 53 individuals have been reported dead due to the blazes while hundreds are still missing.
The wildfires have turned the resort town of Lahaina on Maui Island into smoldering ruins. Lahaina is one of Maui’s prime attractions, drawing two million tourists to the island each year, or about 80 percent of the island’s visitors.
The wildfires took most of Lahaina’s residents and visitors by surprise when they broke out, forcing some to jump into the ocean to
escape the fast-moving inferno.
Approximately 300 homes were destroyed, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Several tourists are currently staying in designated evacuation centers along with affected residents.
US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster on Maui Island, and all federal government resources are now focused on helping those affected by the tragedy.
The fires were the worst disaster to befall Hawaii since 1960, one year after it became a US state, when a tsunami killed 61 people.
The Maui blazes began on Tuesday night as powerful winds from Hurricane Dora, hundreds of miles to the southwest, fanned the flames.
By Thursday, the strong winds had largely abated.