‘Nothing left’: Future unclear for Hawaii residents who lost it all in fire

By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — The fire that tore across a coastal Maui town and caught many by surprise has already claimed dozens of lives and burned more than 1,000 buildings. It has turned a centuries-old hamlet beloved by travelers and locals alike into a charred, desolate landscape. The devastation has resonated worldwide in part because tourists from around the globe flock to Maui to enjoy its white sand beaches, including many who stop to visit Lahaina, an old whaling village and capital of the former Hawaiian kingdom. Thousands fled Maui after the fires rousted them from their resort hotels Tuesday. But for thousands of people who call Lahaina home, there is no flight to catch and no home to return to. They’ve simply lost everything.