BMH ///
Washington, D.C
Lahaina Before the Fire
Xin click vào link dưới của video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoEmpq1AMbI&ab_channel=denniscallan
Xin chuyển tin đến Quý Vị, Quý NT và CH….
Những tin tức mới nhất liên quan đến trận hỏa hoạn tàn phá Maui:
A.- Tin thật vui, tìm được 60 người sống sót nhờ ẩn trú trong một căn nhà
(chưa rõ chi tiết).
Số người thiệt mạng lên đến 111, nhưng quan ngại sẽ còn nhiều hơn nữa,
vì chỉ mới tìm kiếm vào khoảng 35% của toàn khu vực bị cháy, vẫn còn ghi nhận 1,100 người mất tích,
và chỉ mới biết được danh tánh của 5 người thiệt mạng (trong số 111).
Joe Biden đang bận rộn cho sinh hoạt mùa hè, nên đến 21/08/2023 mới đến thị sát hiện trường..
B.- Nhà thờ Công giáo Maria Lanakila ( Chiến thắng ) an lành sau trận cháy rừng
C.- ‘Ngôi nhà được phép mầu’, được xây dựng như một hầm trú ẩn, sống sót sau đám cháy..
D.- Cây ” banyan ” lớn nhất Hoa Kỳ, 150 tuổi, sống sót sau trận hỏa hoạn..
Xin mời Quý Vị theo dõi những bản tin ở dưới..
BMH ///
Washington, D.C
Nhà thờ Công giáo Maria Lanakila ( Chiến thắng ) an lành sau trận cháy rừng Maui ‘Ngay cả những bông hoa trong nhà thờ cũng không bị héo hay cháy xém’
Maria Lanakila Catholic Church survives Maui wildfire: ‘Not even the flowers in the church were wilted or singed’
By
OSV News 16 August 2023, 14:39
HONOLULU — “For us, it’s like a miracle,” Msgr. Terrence Watanabe, the Honolulu Diocese’s vicar of Maui and Lanai, said about Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in the town of Lahaina being seemingly untouched by the fierce Maui wildfires Aug. 8-9.
The blaze burned Lahaina to the ground in the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history and the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
“When we saw the news and saw the church steeple rise above the town, it was a great sight to see,” the priest said in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser daily newspaper Aug. 10.
There were conflicting news reports on the fate of the church — whose name translates as “Our Lady of Victory” — and its parish school, Sacred Hearts School, which had lost half of its roof to heavy winds Aug. 7. The parish’s priests, women religious and staff were safe and accounted for.
The Star-Advertiser had reported that the church had burned down, while another news source reported the church was still standing. The Star-Advertiser corrected its report Aug. 11 with a story that the church had indeed survived. Before that some photos and video footage posted on a parishioner’s Facebook page clearly showed the church was standing.
The church is a block or two from Front Street, the famous waterfront stretch of visitors’ shops and restaurants which the Lahaina fire reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes. Pictures showed charred trees across the street from the church.
Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva echoed the vicar in saying Maria Lanakila Church “was miraculously spared, as was the rectory.” He said the adjacent convent, school and hall were “burned, along with neighboring homes.”
In comments Aug. 14 to the Hawaii Catholic Herald, the diocesan newspaper, he also reported that the pastor, Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, a priest of the Missionaries of Faith congregation, “was allowed to go in (to the church) with a police escort, and he reported that not even the flowers in the church were wilted or singed. There was only a covering of ash on the pews.”
“We thank God for this blessing! Of course the church cannot be used until the area around it is cleared and deemed suitable for passage,” Bishop Silva added.
Early Aug. 16 Maui County officials confirmed they have recovered the bodies of 106 people, but the death toll was expected to keep rising “as crews scour the ruins.” About 1,300 people remained missing. About 11,000 others evacuated.
U.S. census data from 2020 shows that Lahaina had a population of about 12,700 out of an overall population on Maui of about 165,000.
As many as 3,000 homes may have been destroyed. Other Maui communities affected by fires include Kihei and Kula, with more than 500 acres burned. According to research done by Moody’s Analytics, the economic cost to Maui from the wildfires could reach $7 billion.
The White House press secretary announced Aug. 16 that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui Aug. 21 to meet with first responders and survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials. On Aug. 10 Biden issued a federal disaster declaration for Maui and the Big Island (Hawaii island), ordering “all available federal assets on the Islands to help with response.”
In the days since the fires, Msgr. Watanabe has been fielding hundreds of calls and emails “from all over the world.” The outpouring of concern is “overwhelming,” he told the Hawaii Catholic Herald. “It’s unbelievable.”
The church where Msgr. Watanabe is pastor, St. Anthony in Wailuku, held an ecumenical prayer service for victims the evening of Aug. 15, hosted by Bishop Silva.
“We should do what we do best — pray,” the monsignor said.
Prayer has been a watchword for Bishop Silva, too, as well as calling for the faithful to give “unwavering support” to the fire victims.
“As a community of faith, we are called to come together and provide unwavering support to those who are suffering,” he said in an Aug. 11 message to Hawaii Catholics,. “It is in times like these that our collective love, faith and compassion can make a tremendous difference.”
“This is an opportunity for us to show our solidarity as a Catholic faith community and lend a helping hand to those who have lost so much,” Bishop Silva said.
“Let us also remember the power of prayer,” he said. “In our collective prayers, we ask for strength, resilience, and healing for the fire victims and their families. May we find the grace to rebuild our families, their livelihoods, and the physical structures that were lost. Let our faith guide us as we navigate the challenges ahead, knowing that with the grace of God, all things are possible.” Bishop Silva said.
holic Community Foundation was established to support Hawaii’s parishes and schools. It has a dedicated webpage for donations to Maui wildfire relief efforts: https://tinyurl.com/MauiCatholic. Catholic Charities Hawai’i also is collecting donations for wildfire victims at catholiccharitieshawaii.org/maui-relief.
“Many people have been offering prayers, donations, and their own time to help with this crisis. The outpouring of love and care has also been remarkable!” Bishop Silva.
The bishop flew to Maui late Aug. 12, touring the Lahaina area Aug. 13 and celebrated Mass that Sunday for 200 people about nine miles away in Kapalua at Sacred Heart, the other church that belongs to Maria Lanakila Parish.
“To arrive in Kapalua, we had to drive on the upper road above Lahaina town. At several places along the road we saw spots that were destroyed by the fire, whether homes or businesses, it was hard to tell. We could also overlook Lahaina town, which was shockingly devastated,” he said.
Lahaina holds deep cultural significance for Hawaiians as the district “was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom.” The Lahaina Historic District, which encompassed downtown Lahaina, Front Street and its vicinity, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.
While at the church in Kapalua, “I heard stories of people who lost one or more of their loved ones or neighbors, whose houses burned down, or who lost their livelihood,” Bishop Silva told the Hawaii Catholic Herald. “One of my friends, who often serves as my liturgical master of ceremonies when I am on Maui, told me that his uncle, uncle’s wife, their daughter and their grandson all were burned to death in their car, while they were trying to escape.
“My friend and his wife opened their home to other relatives who lost their home and suspects they will be living there for a couple of years.”
Bishop Silva also noted that because cell towers had burned down and the internet was down, most people “were not aware that Pope Francis had sent a letter expressing his concern, prayers, and support — even though I had published the letter on our diocesan media platforms. I read the letter to them, and they were very grateful.”
The pope’s prayers and support for the people of Maui were in an Aug. 10 telegram sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. On Aug. 13, after he led the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the pope again assured the people of Hawaii of his prayers.
Bishop Silva noted that Maria Lanakila’s pastor and the parish school’s principal “are looking into using some nearby hotel conference rooms to set up a temporary school,” because one of their priorities “is to get the children back to school, so that they can continue their learning, have the support of teachers and peers, and allow time for their parents to fill out insurance forms, FEMA applications, finding new employment, etc.”
The Maui blaze began the night of Aug. 8. The National Weather Service said strong winds from Hurricane Dora, passing hundreds of miles to the southwest of the Hawaiian Islands, were partly to blame for fueling the fires.
When the fire struck, Bishop Larry Silva was taking a few vacation days in California on his way back from World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal. His office quickly organized a Zoom virtual rosary to pray for the victims.
“What is needed is prayer for those who have lost their homes and businesses,” he said, introducing the virtual prayer session that was attended by about 300 people, “prayers for our firefighters and first responders and police, and all those you are trying to protect the community, prayer for our social service agencies, which are gearing up to help those who are most in need in this time of crisis and trial.”
“And so we pray to our Blessed Mother for victory over all these tragedies,” he said.
Patrick Downes is editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu. Contributing to this story were Jennifer Rector, reporter for the Hawaii Catholic Herald, and Julie Asher, OSV News senior editor.
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‘Ngôi nhà được phép mầu’, được xây dựng như một hầm trú ẩn, sống sót sau đám cháy Maui mà không bị một trầy xước nào.
‘Miracle House’, Built Like a Bunker, Survives Maui Fires Without a Scratch
Story by Nick Gallagher •6h
Trong khi hầu hết các ngôi nhà xung quanh được làm từ gỗ, chủ nhân xây các bức tường của ngôi nhà bằng bê tông cốt sắt..
While most of the surrounding homes were made from wood, the owners instead lined the walls of their house with concrete
Published |Updated
Nick Gallagher
Among the debris and charred trees that dotted the landscape in the town of Lahaina following the deadliest U.S. fire in more than a century, Kazuichi Tamura’s bunker-like home appeared to somehow remain untouched.
Tamura’s granddaughter, Pattie, confirmed that her family’s home had survived by identifying the ashen remains of a Hard Rock Cafe that had recently closed just down the block, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Pattie said that Kazuichi and his wife Kou, whose sewing studio also survived the blaze, died years ago but that the home is now in the care of her cousin, who lives in California and is currently renovating it.
Pattie believes that the house survived because it was made from cement to protect against Hawaii’s insects and humidity. A carport and guest house also miraculously survived unscathed.
No one was home when the wildfire descended on Lahaina, located on the western edge of Maui.
Kazuichi reportedly built the house himself after retiring from work at a nearby sugar mill in the 1950s. While most of the surrounding homes were made from 19th-century wood, Kazuichi used a formidable lining of concrete for his home’s foundation. Pattie says the walls are so thick that guests have to step outside to hear the roar of the Pacific, even though its waves lap up against the property.
Authorities announced Wednesday that at least 110 people had died in the fires. That number is expected to rise.
The scene of the Tamuras’ home standing against its charred surroundings, mirrored the historic Maria Lanakila Church, which was also spared in the blaze.
Pattie said she and her cousins plan to visit the scene when authorities deem it safe to do so.
“It will be devastating to see the town again,” she told The Chronicle. “It will hurt.”
Related video: Video appears to show start of deadly Maui wildfires that have claimed more than 110 lives (Dailymotion)
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Sixty survivors found alive sheltering in Maui home as search enters ninth day
BEVAN HURLEY
August 17, 2023 at 12:51 AM
Sixty survivors of the Mauiwildfires have been rescued from a single home that had been cut off since wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island, officials say.
The large group had sheltered in an isolated residence in western Maui that had been without electricity and cell phone coverage since 8 August, Maui County mayor Richard Bisset said.
Mr Bisset revealed details of the extraordinary rescue as the death toll from the deadly wildfires rose to 106.
“We discovered yesterday that there was a family that was housing 60 people at a home on the west side, and many of those folks were unaccounted for, and they’ve now been reunited with their families,” Mr Bisset said.
The group were without phones, power and internet, according to Maui police chief John Pelletier.
No further details were immediately available about the survivors’ conditions or where they were found.
As the painstaking search and rescue efforts continue, officials estimate that 1,300 Maui residents remain unaccounted for.
Hawaii governor Josh Green said just 35 per cent of burned out areas had been searched, and he expects the death toll to rise in the coming days.
Hundreds of specialist Federal Emergency Management Agency officers have arrived on the island, along with at least 40 cadaver dogs, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.
Only five of the victims had been identified by Tuesday afternoon, and a mobile morgue unit with 30 coroners has arrived in Hawaii to help sift through remains, Ms Criswell said.
“We’re working carefully to search the affected areas thoroughly and compassionately while respecting all of the cultural sensitivities.”
Maui was facing a “very long and hard recovery”, she added.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) had paid out $2.3m to displaced households, but only 1,300 families had signed up for the payments, Ms Criswell said.
Assistance was available for emergency payments for house repairs, cars and appliances, and Ms Criswell urged anyone impacted by the wildfires to sign up at Fema’s website or by calling 1-800- 621-3362.
Salote Takafua, her son Tony Takafua and parents Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, were among the first victims from the fires identified earlier this week.
Their bodies were found in a burned out car near their home in Lahaina, family said.
The body of Franklin “Frankie” Trejos, 68, was found in a car outside the home of friends he had been staying with for years in Lahaina. He appeared to have been trying to shield the family’s three-year-old golden retriever Sam.
President Joe Biden plans to travel to Maui with First Lady Jill Biden on 21 August to inspect the affected areas and victims and officials involved in the recovery operation.
