Hawaii wildfires: Planning to visit Maui or the Big Island? Here’s what you need to know

Fire and smoke fill the sky in Maui on August 8, 2023. Photo / County of Maui via AP

Large wildfires burning across the islands of Maui and Hawaii, fuelled by intense winds, turned scenic beach destinations into smoky, catastrophic scenes today. The fast-moving flames have scorched hundreds of acres, destroyed homes and businesses, and prompted a series of evacuation orders, road closures, and power and cellphone service outages. At least six people have died.

The fires are most intense along the western coast of Maui, according to local news reports, with the historic town centre of Lahaina severely damaged.

Declaring a state of emergency in all counties, the Hawaiian state government has asked travellers to leave West Maui as soon as possible and is discouraging travel to the affected areas.

House of Travel COO Brent Thomas said hundreds of New Zealanders were in Hawaii and the agency was talking to affected Kiwis in Hawaii on a case-by-case basis.

Here’s what travellers need to know.

Where are the fires?

According to the local news outlet Hawaii News Now, at least three wildfires are burning on Maui, including one in Lahaina, a major tourist destination on Maui, and the upcountry section of the island. There are at least three blazes on the Big Island, in North Kohala and South Kohala, which includes the Mauna Kea beach area, according to Big Island Now.

Can you fly to Maui and the Big Island?

Non-essential air travel is being discouraged by the Hawaiian authorities. Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued two emergency proclamations authorising several actions, including activating the National Guard.

All travellers should monitor their flight status online or using the airline’s app before departing for the airport.

As of early Wednesday morning local time, Kahului Airport on Maui remains open and was sheltering about 1800 travellers, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said. On Wednesday (Thursday NZT), most flights were operating as scheduled, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking site, but some carriers are reporting inbound cancellations and delays. The two airports on the Big Island, Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, also remain open.

What’s the latest with travel on and between the islands?

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is providing timely information on road conditions, highway closures and airport status updates through social media. All non-essential travel to Maui is discouraged, the department said.

Hawaiian Airlines has added six more flights on Wednesday between Honolulu and Kahului.

Those flying between islands should monitor their flight status on their carrier’s app or website and be aware that changes may come unexpectedly.

Numerous road closures were announced for both Maui and the Big Island, according to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, with the Honoapiilani Highway on the west coast of Maui remaining open to outbound traffic only.

Can I get a refund from my hotel or short-term rental?

On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, travellers have written that major hotels near the wildfires in Maui have closed and been evacuated. Several popular resorts, including Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa at Ka’anapali Beach and the Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, currently do not have power.

The Hyatt Regency is closed to new arrivals and will not accept new guests through August 11, the company said in a statement, adding that any booking deposits, including prepaid stays, for these dates will be refunded.

Other major resorts in the area could not be immediately reached for comment.

Most of the major hotel chains have already instituted more flexible cancellation policies because of the pandemic, but Marriott, Hilton and others did not respond to requests for comment on their specific policies related to the wildfires.

For those travellers who booked accommodations with Airbnb, the company has activated its “extenuating circumstances policy” for parts of Maui. Eligible guests with reservations will receive a full refund, and both hosts and guests can cancel bookings penalty-free, the company said on Wednesday.

According to Vrbo, wildfires and other natural disasters do not override typical cancellation policies. However, for bookings on Maui and parts of the Big Island between August 9 and 16, the company said, “Vrbo has already waived host penalties for cancellations, which means hosts can cancel and refund their guests without worrying about how it will affect their listing performance in future guests’ searches.”

Vrbo recommends that guests reach out to the hosts of their bookings for more information, as well as their travel insurance provider if they bought trip protection.

Would travel insurance help?

Most travel insurance policies have trip cancellation coverage for natural disasters, but it’s important to read the fine print of your policy to see if wildfires are covered under the reasons for trip cancellation or interruption.

In most cases, travellers will have coverage if their destination is made uninhabitable or if they are forced to evacuate with at least 50 per cent of their trip remaining, according to Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site. If a hotel or holiday rental cancels your reservation before your arrival because of damage caused by a wildfire, most travel insurance plans provide coverage.

Policies with “cancel for any reason” coverage do not require travellers to state a reason for their cancellation, but some travel insurers apply restrictions to the benefit. For most policies that include coverage for wildfires, the policy must be purchased before the event occurs.

Written by: Christine Chung and Ceylan Yeginsu

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