Maui locals slam tourists holidaying in aftermath of deadly wildfires
- Residents say travellers are ignoring pleas from Hawaiian officials to cancel their holiday plans, and using roads that people bringing supplies need access to
- One video shows visitors snorkelling near Lahaina, where locals were forced to jump into the sea to avoid the flames that levelled their historic town
While locals in Maui, Hawaii, struggle to reckon with record-setting wildfires that burned homes, livelihoods and entire neighbourhoods to the ground, some say recovery is being made more painful by tourists visiting the island.
Last week, residents of Lahaina, a historic town once home to about 12,000 people, were forced to jump into the ocean to escape wildfires fuelled by winds from Hurricane Dora sweeping across Maui.
The flames levelled most of the town and killed nearly 100 people, officials said, according to CNN. Thousands are still reported as missing.
Though travellers have been warned by local officials – and even Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa – to cancel non-essential travel plans to Maui, footage being shared across social media appears to show tourists holidaying on the island.
TikToker @kayafromhawaii re-shared footage of travellers in Hawaii on her account over the weekend.