Oldest house in Maui is razed to the ground by deadly wildfires: Built in 1834 in Lahaina, the Baldwin House once played host to members of the Hawaiian royal family when the city was capital
The oldest house in Maui has been razed to the ground by deadly wildfires currently ravaging the islands of Hawaii.
The fire swept through the historic city of Lahaina, decimating the popular tourist attraction that dates back to the 18th century.
One of the buildings that was destroyed was The Baldwin Home, originally from 1834 and the oldest house still standing on the island.
County officials said 271 buildings were affected and destroyed as a result of the fires. At least 36 people have died in the fires that have raged across 2,000 acres of Maui. Hundreds remain missing.
The coastal city of Lahaina was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and a sacred place for the island’s kings and queens.
Aerial footage captured the destruction of Maui’s historic waterfront buildings after the inferno, including the charred remains of the Baldwin Building and the trees surrounding it
In this satellite image, the roof of the Baldwin Home can be glimpsed through the dense foliage
The Baldwin Home, pictured here, was the oldest house on the island and is now ruined
On Twitter, Senator Brian Schatz said, “Lahaina Town on Maui has almost completely burned down.
“Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control and our first responders are in search and rescue mode.”
The Baldwin Home was originally built by the Reverend Ephraim Spaulding between 1834-35 in what was called a “missionary compound.”
After falling ill in 1836, Spaulding traveled to Massachusetts and a medical missionary, the Reverend Dwight Baldwin, and his family, who had been living in a grass hut, moved into the house.
The Baldwins lived in the house on Lahaina until 1868, frequently opening their doors to weary travelers, ship captains, members of the royal court, and visiting consuls.
In 1853 a smallpox epidemic hit the islands and by then Baldwin was a doctor.
He managed to quarantine the residents of Lahaina and began vaccinating as many people as possible, before traveling to the other islands to do the same.
Missionary Reverend Dwight Baldwin, pictured here, moved into the famous Front Street property in 1835
Before and after photos of the area show the devastation caused by the wildfires
An aerial view shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground around the harbor and Front Street in the historic city of Lahaina
Reverend Baldwin and his wife then moved to Oʻahu to retire near their daughter Charlotte.
After the roof of the monumental building caught fire, the building completely burned down.
Theo Morrison, executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, shared the New York Times: ‘We had no preparation, no warning, nothing.
“This is the most destructive thing that has happened in the entire history of this city.”
Aerial photos showed dozens of homes and businesses in Lahaina razed to the ground, including Front Street, where the Baldwin Home once stood.
Smoking rubble was piled high along the water’s edge, boats in the harbor were scorched, and gray smoke hung over the skeletons of charred trees.
While the exact source of the fires remains unknown, they started on Tuesday fueled by strong winds from passing Hurricane Dora.
Horrifying footage captured of a plane landing in Maui shows the extent of the fires that continue to ravage the tiny island
Low humidity and a prolonged dry season with desiccated trees also contributed to the disaster, officials said.
As the fires closed all the way to the coastline, frantic local residents jumped into the water in the harbor on Tuesday evening to escape the flames. Twelve people were rescued from the waves by boats.
Concerned Lahaina residents awoke Thursday to photos and videos of their completely destroyed homes.
“We just had the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It’s like an apocalypse,” said one resident.
Another escaped with his wife, kids and dog and slept in a Whole Foods parking lot before waking to the news that their home had been destroyed.
President Joe Biden has declared a major emergency in Hawaii, allowing residents and businesses access to federal funding.
It has hundreds of people missing as relatives desperately search for any sign that they may have been rescued or found shelter after fleeing.
Locals have prepared a document for relatives to list the last place their loved ones were seen, though authorities have yet to set up an official way or report anyone missing.
People gather while waiting for flights at Kahului Airport Wednesday, August 9, 2023 in Kahului, Hawaii
State officials are working with hotels and airlines to evacuate thousands of tourists to another island.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation confirmed that Maui’s Kahului Airport is open, with thousands of people stranded trying to flee the island.
Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, confirmed that non-essential inbound travel to Maui is strongly discouraged.
He estimated that about 2,000 people spent the night at the airport, while another 4,000 visitors tried to leave the island from the west side.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority said in a statement that West Maui is the area travelers should avoid, adding, “Visitors with travel plans to stay in other parts of Maui and the Kohala Coast of Hawai’i Island in the coming weeks should are encouraged to contact their hotels for updated information and how their travel plans may be affected.”
State officials are working with hotels and airlines to evacuate thousands of tourists to another island
Officials attempted to evacuate the island’s thousands of visitors and are preparing to move those unable to return to their homes, along with displaced Maui residents, to the Hawaii Convention Center.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority partnered with the American Red Cross to set up the assistance center, with shuttle buses taking stranded guests from the Honolulu airport every 20 minutes.
To help people get out of Maui as quickly as possible, Hawaiian Airlines says it has added flights and is offering low fares of $19 for main cabins.
“We are doing what we can to provide resources to care for our employees, and we are doing what we can to care for our guests,” said Hawaiian Air CEO Peter Ingram.