Lāhainā, a town on the island of Maui in Hawaii, was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early nineteenth century, Lāhainā was also a historic whaling port during the whaling boom of the mid-1800s. 

In recent years, Lāhainā has become a popular vacation destination, attracting tourists to the shops and restaurants along Front Street, going whale watching, or just keeping cool in the shade of a majestic banyan tree planted in 1873.

All this changed on Tuesday when a wall of flame swept through the town.  An extended drought and high winds from a passing hurricane combined to create an out-of-control brushfire, devastating many historic homes and buildings and killing at least 37.

“Lāhainā Town on Maui is almost totally burnt to the ground,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, wrote in social media today. “Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control, and our first responders are in search and rescue mode.”

Residents leaped into the harbor to escape the flames and smoke.  The Coast Guard rescued 14 people from the water.

The extent of the damage to Lāhainā is still being assessed, but the initial reports are grim. The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue continues. An estimated 271 structures were damaged or destroyed.

The Baldwin Home, the oldest house on Maui, burned. The 1834 building originally served as a residence for missionaries and was most recently a museum.

The Pioneer Inn was also destroyed by the fire. The 34-room inn was built in 1901. It was the oldest hotel in Lāhainā and on the island of Maui and the oldest in continuous operation in the state of Hawaii. 

Other historic buildings that were destroyed included the Waiola Church, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Lahaina Jodo Mission and Na Aikana Cultural Center.

The 150-year-old banyan tree is also reported to have burned.