He said he watched smoke rising over the water and hills that separate the two towns.
Hawaii's Governor Josh Green said Thursday that the death toll was 53 and likely to rise. Officials with Maui County said dozens more were injured and more than 270 structures were damaged or destroyed. Desaulniers said his home was far from the fires and not damaged, but the entire northwest of Maui has been “shut down” with no road access, no electricity and limited cellphone service.
A flyover conducted over Lahaina Thursday showed the normally vibrant community reduced to grey and black, with rubble, building foundations and charred vehicles strewn about the town. A statement from the carrier said a scheduled flight from Maui to Vancouver - Air Canada's only daily route from the island - was cancelled on Tuesday, necessitating the ferry flights.The Hawaii Tourism Authority has asked visitors on non-essential travel to leave Maui, and incoming non-essential travel to the island is “strongly discouraged.”