"Korean in Hawaii Suffers Severe Wildfire Damage as Jewelry Store and Home Burn"

No Casualties Among Korean and Korean-American Tourists
Korean Resident on Maui Island: "This Is the First Time Experiencing Such Strong Winds"

A wildfire that broke out on Maui Island in Hawaii has caused the worst loss of life from a wildfire in the United States in over 100 years, and it has been reported that Korean residents living locally have also suffered significant property damage.

So far, no casualties among local Korean residents or Korean tourists have been reported. However, according to the local Korean community, including the Maui Korean Association, about 10 homes and businesses have been burned down.

Choi Young-soon, former president of the Hawaii Maui Korean Association, told CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 14th, "One person owned seven buildings, and all seven businesses were burned down. Another person lost two jewelry stores and their entire house," describing the damage situation.

On the 10th (local time), residents are walking in Lahaina on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, which was charred black by wildfires. On the same day, Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii, stated that "about 80% of Lahaina appears to have disappeared" due to the wildfires that lasted for three days. 2023.08.11/AFP=Yonhap News

Regarding the situation of Korean tourists, she explained, "Because the fire spread suddenly, many people were only able to escape with their lives. Since you cannot board a plane without a passport or ID, consular officers came to issue temporary passports and have been assisting through communication and support at the airport. So many Koreans have evacuated, and I understand about 100 people have been helped," she said.

Choi, who has lived on Maui Island for 31 years, said, "I enjoy surfing, but I have never seen such strong winds in my life. It was really frightening," adding, "As the hurricane passed, the strong winds knocked down utility poles, which sparked fires and caused this accident."

Regarding why the wildfire spread to residential areas and caused extensive damage, she said, "First of all, communication was cut off, so people couldn’t coordinate to extinguish the fire quickly, and many people suffocated from the thick black smoke." She added, "Because the fire was right in front of them, some people jumped into the sea and tried to escape by boat."

However, she said, "In the end, some people could not escape, some got stuck in windows and couldn’t get out, and many were in bad condition."

Choi said that what is most needed now is, "Local people have been supplying a lot of food and water, so that’s okay, but all communication is down." She added, "Generators and batteries would be very helpful."

Meanwhile, according to foreign media reports including the AP News, as of the 12th (local time), the Hawaii state Lahaina County reported at least 93 deaths from the Maui Island fire. Authorities estimate that about 1,000 people are missing or unaccounted for.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.