The quickly moving wildfires in Maui, spurred by 60 mph winds, have devastated the small island, killed more than 50 people, and destroyed more than 1,700 buildings, including public school facilities, government buildings, museums, and dozens of irreplaceable historical landmarks and buildings in the town of Lahaina.
Lahaina, the original capital of the Hawaiian islands, is completely destroyed, according to Maui’s mayor Richard Bessen Jr. Some of the buildings destroyed in the fire include Wailo Church, a 200-year-old church, and the Baldwin home, a nearly 200-year-old facility that housed missionaries and is now a museum, and the Lahaina Courthouse, built in 1858. Lahaina’s famous banyan tree, planted on the island in 1873 and now purported to be the largest banyan tree in the world, is scorched but survived the fire, according to media reports. It will take several years and billions of dollars to rebuild Lahaina, according to Bessen, and the town will be completely different.
Hawaii’s governor Josh Green has called the wildfires the worst national disaster in Hawaiian history.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
