Wildfires in Maui have forced thousands of residents to flee and left tourists stranded.
Some of those who managed to escape shared their experiences at Los Angeles International Airport with KNX News’ Jon Baird.
Wally Alley said it took him four hours to get to the Maui Airport because of the damage and the chaos.
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“It was terrifying,” he said. “It was terrifying for the people, for the casualties and the fire that took place, the smoke…”
One woman said she and her family only spent two days on the island before leaving and that on her way to the airport, she could see the smoke from the wildfires.
“You could see that there was an underlying panic and we’re all just so grateful that we got out of Maui and our hearts go out to the people that lost their homes,” she said.
Another woman said it was something she’s never seen before.
“We took videos…it was shocking,” she said.
The wildfires have claimed at least 36 lives and devastated the town of Lahaina.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii and “ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires.”
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