Hawaii declares emergency due to wildfires, discourages all nonessential travel to Maui

As of Thursday morning, wind-driven wildfires continue in Hawaii, prompting thousands of evacuations, road closures, power issues and devastation to much of west Maui and the Big Island's Kohala Coast, including Lahaina, where at least 36 people have been killed.

State officials are discouraging nonessential travel to Maui, while the other islands — Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and other parts of the island of Hawaii — remain unaffected.

What travelers to Maui and the Big Island should know

"Visitors who are on nonessential travel are being asked to leave Maui, and non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time," a statement released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority reads. "Visitors who have travel plans to West Maui in the coming weeks are encouraged to consider rescheduling their travel plans for a later time."

Based on this guidance, upcoming trips to west Maui should be canceled. The tourism board advises travelers with plans to other parts of Maui and the Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaii in the coming weeks to contact their hotels for guidance on whether their properties will be open at that time.

"In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses," the Hawaii Tourism Authority said.

Some hotels — such as the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa and the neighboring Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Ka'anapali Beach — are closed to arrivals and currently plan to resume operations on Aug. 11 and Aug. 13, respectively. However, that is likely subject to local conditions and needs.

Is it safe to travel to other areas of Hawaii right now?

Travel to elsewhere in Hawaii, including Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and other parts of the Big Island, is not affected at this time.

However, for those who are on the island or who have essential travel, hotels like the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort are still operating, according to their social media channels.

Earlier developments

On Wednesday, Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke declared only those with essential travel reasons should go to Maui due to a disaster emergency relief period that will be in place through at least Aug. 15.

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Luke told CNN, "We encourage anyone with travel plans to Maui to cancel their flight…it is really a tragedy that we're dealing with right now."

Power outages were widespread, and several resorts on Maui indicate that many are still without power. This includes the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, which says it is closed to arrivals and not accepting guests until at least Aug. 11. Power has been restored on parts of the island. However, more than 11,000 are still without electricity, and west Maui remains without power.

More than 11,000 travelers were evacuated from Maui, according to the director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Ed Sniffen; nearly 600 people were awaiting flights to get out Thursday, according to The New York Times.

The fires began Tuesday, with winds from Category 4 Hurricane Dora, passing south of Hawaii, contributing to the fires but not directly responsible, as noted in reporting by CNN.

Some residents from Lahaina, Kula, North Kihei and Kaanapali on Maui and Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii were evacuated Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. The Associated Press reported rescues of several people who fled the flames into the ocean.

"911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down. That's been part of the problem," Luke told CNN Wednesday morning. "Maui County has not been able to communicate with residents on the west side, the Lahaina side."

On Wednesday, satellite phones were the only means of communication in parts of Maui.

"What we are trying to do is deploy individuals to go into areas with satellite phone service. We have only been in contact with perhaps one hotel because the one hotel, the people in charge of that hotel have satellite phones," Luke told CNN.

Hawaii National Guard members were also deployed.

Flights to and from Maui

Kahului Airport (OGG) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) remain open, but Hawaiian Airlines encouraged travelers flying in and out of OGG to continue monitoring their flights for updates. Nearly 1,800 tourists were stuck at the airport awaiting guidance, according to CNN.

In response to affected flights, Hawaiian Airlines travelers can reschedule their flights at no cost for those scheduled to fly in and out of OGG.

"You can reschedule your flight to new dates, no change fees will be charged, and we'll waive any applicable fare difference and other fees related to changes or guest servicing on the same city pair for travel and same cabin of service," the waiver said. "Tickets must be rebooked into the same compartment (Main Cabin or Business Cabin) by Aug. 18, 2023, and travel must recommence by Sept. 1, 2023 HST."

Alternatively, these travelers can cancel their flights in exchange for a future flight credit, expiring one year from the original date of purchase. No change fees apply, but there may be a fare difference.

American Airlines canceled all incoming flights to OGG Wednesday.

"Given the current situation, all flights to OGG are canceled for today," American Airlines spokesperson Curtis Blessing told CNN. "We are still operating the majority of flights out of OGG today to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so."

There were 17 inbound flights to Kahului canceled Wednesday, plus another 13 flights for Thursday, including 10 from United Airlines, according to FlightAware data.

Southwest Airlines is offering $19 flights to those looking to leave Maui to fly to one of Hawaii's other islands in the coming days, as reported by View From the Wing. The airline is reportedly reducing the in-cabin pet fee to $1 on those flights.

Evacuations and road closures

Mandatory emergency evacuations occurred in some areas via state and federal agencies, including the National Guard.

Orders to exit from Wailea also impacted tourists, as it's laden with beachfront hotels. Though most hotels have yet to publicly communicate plans for guests, they will likely adhere to county officials' guidance; some resorts have lost communication abilities, per the Maui Emergency Management Agency.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the road to west Maui (Lahaina) was closed to all traffic, minus emergency personnel. The only way to reach resorts over there is via its north route.

Related reading:

• Your flight is delayed or canceled: Here's what to do next
• The best travel credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases

Additional reporting by Clint Henderson, Summer Hull and Becky Blaine.