Crews are continuing to battle blazes in several places on the island while authorities are urging visitors to stay away. Video / NZ Herald / AP / Reuters
As Hawaii continues its devastating battle against raging wildfires, celebrities are dividing fans with their seemingly ill-toned posts.
Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks is the latest in a long line of celebrities who have commented on the fires, which have killed at least 96 people since the weekend.
The 75-year-old singer shared a note on Instagram titled “Lahaina is not gone ~ it is just away” and revealed the fires had had an impact on her personally as well as affecting her niece’s holiday in the area.
“As I am sure you have heard – the island, Maui, where I own a house I have been staying at since the 80s – and the small village, city, most magical place on earth, Lahaina, burned to the ground over the last few days.
“And to make the situation worse my young niece, her husband, and their little boy had just arrived for a very needed vacation before she started up her school year (on her way to becoming a psychologist) for 10 days. They had one and a half days of fun and then – the fire started.”
The star went on to say the island “defines Fleetwood Mac” and recalled times she had spent visiting art galleries, walking the streets and visiting a store where she purchased most of the opal jewellery she wears.
After the post, she received criticism from fans who called her out for focusing on her niece’s holiday rather than the people who had lost their lives in the fire, while other fans wanted to know why she hadn’t offered any links or information for how people can support the victims of the fires.
One person said “I am a huge huge Stevie Nick’s music lover, and this is really disappointing. She’s so rich and so out of touch with reality. But I’m not surprised by this post Stevie has been a millionaire her whole life practically.”
Another said “I read this several times to try and find a way to make it not sound so bad but … it sounds so bad”.
Stevie Nicks has caused a divide among fans with her reaction to the Maui wildfires. Photo / Getty Images
However, others came to her defence and said it’s not fair to call her out as Nicks has not made her contributions to the victims clear: “You have no idea whether she’s donated or plans to donate to rebuild the island,” one fan said.
Another said, “This comment section is giving me the ick. Just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she can’t grieve for her home; it’s not being selfish. Sounds like she was even worried for her niece, which is a normal reaction. Celebrities don’t owe people anything.”
Nicks’ bandmate, Mick Fleetwood, made headlines after the restaurant he owns on the island burned down in the fires. He has since chartered a plane to bring supplies to the island, Daily Mail has reported.
Nicks isn’t the only star who has faced scrutiny for her response to the wildfires, which have ravaged more than 850 hectares, making it the deadliest bushfire in US history. Heiress Paris Hilton was called out for holidaying a mere 50km from the island.
The Daily Mail reportedly obtained photos of the star with her husband, Carter Reum and son, Phoenix as they stayed at a resort in Wailea - a 48km drive from Lahaina.
While Hilton has not personally shared the images, fans were quick to take to X - formerly Twitter - to share their thoughts on the matter with one person writing, “wow, read the room”.
Another said, “Disgusting. They’ve asked all tourists to leave the island.”
Meanwhile, Nicole Scherzinger, who was born in Honolulu, upset fans when posted a selection of swimwear images.
Captioning the post of her in a cut-out white swimsuit posing provocatively, the Pussycat Doll singer wrote, “Swipe [left arrow] to see the real me in the last two slides. Real goof girl s**t.” Which earned plenty of attention from fans.
Despite the singer’s previous post being about the devastating fires and sharing information for people can help support victims, one infuriated fan commented on her bikini pictures, “Maui on fire but you out here half naked in your glamorous life … OK”.
Another added, “I just think it’s a bit insensitive bearing in mind what’s happening”.
Scherzinger later shared another video this time asking fans to donate to the Hawaii Red Cross: “Sending all my aloha to those living this devastation and mahalo nui to those continuing to raise awareness to help fight these terrible times,” she wrote.
Jason Momoa issued a strict warning to fans telling them not to travel to Maui while the island battles the devastating fires, which have burned more than 2200 buildings and structures to the ground according to the Sun.
“Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now,” the Aquaman star, 44, captioned a slide show on Instagram Friday that featured video of the fires with the words “do not travel to Maui”.
“Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”
