100 motorists clash with police after road to fire-torn Lahaina, Maui is briefly reopened

Authorities briefly reopened the main road back to Lahaina for the first time since deadly flames tore through the historic town in the Hawaii Island of Maui, sparking a number of altercations between police and vehicles.

About 100 individuals tried to block police at one point on Friday from entering Lahaina via Honoapiilani Highway, and officials told the Honolulu Star Advertiser they were dealing with a near-riot.

After the route was opened at noon for the first time following the destruction of the town by flames on Tuesday and Wednesday that claimed at least 80 lives, footage posted to social media showed lengthy lineups of automobiles entering the engulfed town.

Police screened drivers at the Maalaea checkpoint to ensure that only Lahaina residents with identification or visitors who could demonstrate they were hotel guests in West Maui could be admitted. At first, traffic flowed smoothly through the checkpoint.

However, by 5 o’clock, police had closed both directions of the road, infuriating drivers and igniting a riot.

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The Honolulu Star Advertiser claims that some drivers got “emotional” when urged to get on the road by officials, while others parked their cars on the highway and ventured into regions that had not yet been judged safe.

By six o’clock in the evening, traffic leaving Lahain was once again permitted to go on the highway at Maalaea, but westbound traffic was still prohibited.

Messages requesting information about whether there had been any arrests or injuries were not immediately returned by the Maui Police Department.

In a statement issued by Maui County, officials stated that “the road to Lahaina was opened for local residents to provide medication and supplies to their families that remain in homes on the west side and in need of such assistance outside of the fire/biohazard zone.”

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They also condemned people who parked on the Lahaina Bypass and walked into the areas locked down due to hazardous conditions and biohazards.

“Those caught within this zone will be escorted out and may be arrested,” said the statement. “This area is an active police scene, and we need to preserve the dignity of lives lost and respect their surviving family.”