The island that forms part of the US state of Hawaii was caught off guard by major fires that broke out Tuesday night, cutting off the western side of Maui and the historic town of Lahaina.
On Maui. Rumors from first responders point to a death toll in the hundreds. Lahaina town looks like it was bombed and we won't know how many people are lost until all the rubble can be searched.
If there are any deep pocketed Lemmy friends out there, please have a look at Hawaii Community Foundation or other local organizations. Please be diligent if donating, as the bot-farmed fake donation scams are already starting to pop up online.
What a tragic situation. Does anyone know of any good relief efforts that are helping out in Hawaii right now? I feel like they're going to be needing a lot of help to recover from this.
I work at a bar with a regular with family and property on Maui. He was frantic trying to get ahold of people but got sent a video of people fleeing with multiple bodies on the ground as they try to escape the flames. Death count is definitely higher.