By Canadian Press

Canadian evacuees tell of chaotic scenes in Maui wildfire ‘war zone’

Aug 11, 2023 | 11:06 AM

VANCOUVER — Canadians returning from Maui have told of harrowing scenes during their escape from the fire-devastated Hawaiian island.

Among the evacuees is British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Matthew Taylor who drove through the ruined town of Lahaina and says it resembles a “war zone.”

Taylor, who arrived in Vancouver this morning on an Air Canada flight, says buildings on both sides of the highway out of Lahaina were burned to the ground.

Other evacuees described chaotic scenes after the fire, with power lines downed, communication networks halted and hours-long queues for food that was in short supply.

Officials in Hawaii say at least 55 people died this week after wildfires erupted on Maui in the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people. 

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Governor Josh Green warns that the death toll will likely rise as search and rescue operations continue.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2023. 

The Canadian Press