Former East Texas resident living in Maui discusses fatal wildfires on the island

MAUI, Hawaii (KLTV) - An East Texas native and Maui resident joined East Texas Now’s Jeremy Butler to discuss the recent wildfires in Hawaii.

Jared Frazier, a former resident of Tyler, now lives on the island of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago. Reports say several wildfires are raging across Maui and Hawaii’s Big Island, and Frazier says high winds knocking down power lines are largely to blame.

According to Frazier, the hot, dry conditions combined with the felled and arcing electric wires are starting the fires. The high winds that knocked the power lines down are also contributing to the deadly-fast spread of the intense flames.

Frazier also said historic parts of Maui have succumbed to the fires, including a historic town called Lahaina. According to Frazier, it’s hard to tell what’s happening in the district as they’ve reportedly lost power and cell service in the area.

According to an HHN story, burn patients have been flown to the island of Oahu, according to Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokesperson Shayne Enright. She couldn’t confirm how many patients were flown in from Maui, but she said a woman in her 60s was transported to a Honolulu hospital burn center in critical condition. Authorities said earlier Wednesday that a firefighter in Maui was hospitalized in stable condition after inhaling smoke.

Officials reported around 11 a.m. Pacific time that six people have died so far. There’s no count available for the number of structures that have burned or the number of people who have evacuated, but reports say there were four shelters open and that more than 1,000 people were at the largest.

The flames have forced thousands to their homes, and many aren’t sure what they’ll find when they return.

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