Maui Wildfires: SF Mayor London Breed Evacuated From Maui To Oahu

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was evacuated from Maui to the island of Oahu in Hawaii on Wednesday, narrowly avoiding the growing wildfires on the island that have so far claimed the lives of 36 people.

Dry weather and an accumulation of brush first sparked the fires in Hawaii on Tuesday. Continued dry weather, high temperatures, and high winds quickly spread the fire on Maui, causing the fire to engulf the city of Lahaina in the process. Unlike California, which has a decades-long built system through Cal Fire that responds to wildfire incidents throughout the state, Hawaii has no dedicated state agency for such fires, and relies heavily on local fire departments to handle such matters. While crews on Maui responded, the rapid spread of the fire quickly caused damage.

As of Thursday morning, much of Lahaina has been destroyed, with 36 people currently dead from the blaze, at least another 26 injured, and over 270 buildings leveled as a result of the fire. In addition, President Joe Biden signed a major disaster declaration for the state on Thursday to help with emergency services.

“Sadly, in California, we’re used to such big blazes,” said volunteer fireman Jorge Martinez to the Globe on Thursday. “We had the August Complex Fire in 2020, which killed over 100 people and made San Francisco’s sky turn orange. In 2018 we had the disastrous Camp Fire that wiped out Paradise and killed many as well. We’re just used to it. Places like Hawaii aren’t like we’ve been seeing. Many East Coast states aren’t used to the hazy skies caused by fires, like what happened with the Canadian fires this year. So you get responses which aren’t as good, and sadly, that brings with it more destruction and death as a result. You get people jumping into the ocean to avoid the blaze because no one thought that a wildfire like that could happen.”

Among the many tourists who have been evacuated in the last couple of days was San Francisco Mayor London Breed. The Mayor’s office confirmed on Thursday that she was safely evacuated to Oahu, but remained spotty on the details. It is known that Breed was in Maui for a “personal trip,” but then was evacuated before the fire engulfed the area. Her office also made it clear that, despite the hasty evacuation, Breed’s life was never in danger.

“The Governor of Hawaii issued an order encouraging all visitors to depart the island,” said Breed’s office Thursday in a statement. “Breed has left the island and is now on Oahu. The Mayor was never in danger. This wildfire is devastating to witness and our thoughts are with the people of Maui. This was a personal trip for the Mayor so we are not sharing additional details right now.”

Breed has also avoided talking about the fire as of Thursday morning, with Tweets sent out by Breed about San Francisco City College rather than her evacuation. Similarly, her other social media has also been devoid of any mentions of Hawaii. However, political experts told the Globe that this would likely change in the coming weeks, and would likely pop up during the San Francisco Mayoral election next year.

“Breed isn’t talking about it now, but she will soon, and like any politician worth their salt, use it in the next election,” explained San Francisco-based political advisor Sharon Lee to the Globe on Thursday. “First of all, as a public figure, people have the right to know why she left the city. It was probably a vacation or needing to visit someone, but still. And then, like other politicians who avoided disasters like that, she’ll use it to her advantage. Wildfire concerns around San Francisco are big, and she will likely say something like ‘I know all about needing preparedness. As Mayor, I’ve helped over see many programs and previous wildfires here before, and know firsthand what underpreparedness can do. I evacuated the Maui fires on Hawaii because they were not prepared.’ Something like that. They always eventually do.”

“She and her office aren’t really talking now, but they will soon.”

Updated figures on the Maui wildfire are expected soon, with more confirmed deaths and destroyed buildings likely to be announced.