Hawaii officials are advising tourists to refrain from traveling to Maui due to a wildfire that destroyed a historic town and caused over 90 casualties.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority said Saturday night that Hotels in West Maui have stopped accepting bookings and are sheltering staff and families until fires are contained and roads are safe.
According to Maui County, crews are still working to put out flare-ups in Lahaina and fires in Upcountry Maui, and police have put up roadblocks and are only allowing residents into the damaged areas.
Hotels are also getting ready to host evacuees and first responders aiding in the recovery efforts, and officials are encouraging travelers who have arrangements to stay in Maui in the "coming weeks and months" to postpone their trip.
"While efforts are underway to restore basic services, like power and communications, visitors are encouraged to refrain from attempting to reach West Maui accommodations for reservation adjustments until the situation improves," said the Hawaii Tourism Authority in a statement.
According to the statement, "about 46,000 people have flown out of Kahului Airport since Wednesday."
Additionally, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier noted that the process of locating and identifying the deceased is in its initial stages. As of Saturday, only 3% of the search area had been covered by officials.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority suggests that if you want to visit Hawaii, travel to areas that have not been affected by the fires, such as Kauai, O‘ahu, and Lanai.
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