Luckily, Quebecers vacationing in the Hawaiian archipelago were able to board the country at Montreal’s Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport Thursday night.
• Also read: At least 55 dead in Hawaii fires, rescuers search for missing people
• Also read: Forest fires in Hawaii: Actor Jason Momoa is inconsolable
Many breathed a sigh of relief while some saw the fires up close.
“In the evening when we went to bed the day before, there was a strong smell of smoke, it smelled like fire, but we were in Kauai, not Lahaina. The fire was approaching Kauai, where we were, but it was brought under control,” a citizen told TVA Nouvelles.
AFP
“Closed roads, lots of smoke, ash on our clothes that we hung out to dry when we woke up in the morning. […] “It’s the horror of what they experience,” said another woman.
natural disaster
According to archipelago governor Josh Green, these fires are “probably the largest natural disaster in the history of the state of Hawaii.”
The latest report regrets 55 dead, but forecasts say the death toll is set to get worse while hundreds of people are still missing.
On the island of Maui, which was completely devastated by the flames, 14,000 residents had to be evacuated.
AFP
However, authorities announced on Friday that the fire was 80% contained.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed in the disaster.
“I think we need to rebuild all of Lahaina,” sighed Gov. Josh Green, who estimates the bill at several billion dollars.
Lack of preparation
Anger is brewing among the population, who have accused local authorities of failing to warn citizens of the impending danger.
According to several analysts, the lack of preparation by the Hawaiian authorities has been lamented for several years.
“It’s important and there’s local agencies, state agencies, federal agencies… all of that has to be coordinated at the same time. So if those entities have never worked together then it’s a mess and we can’t afford that kind of situation,” commented Pierre Bélanger in an interview with TVA Nouvelles, former Minister of Public Security.
VAT News
“From what I’m reading right now, what I’m seeing right now, it seems that in terms of the coordination of these different police forces, prevention and assistance, there is really a lack right now, and that’s scary the rest of what’s happening,” explains him again.