We begin tonight with those catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii that are tearing a path through Maui, leaving behind widespread destruction. Late tonight, officials confirmed that the death toll has risen. We are awaiting an update on firefighting and recovery efforts, and will bring that to some of you when it happens. Fast moving flames turned this colorful, tropical paradise into black smoke, ash and soot. Take a look at this before and after photos from the city of Lahaina and its historic harbor, a vibrant neighborhood reduced to scorched earth. At least fifty-three people have been killed and an unknown number are missing. President B today approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaii. And county officials say the fire near Lahaina is eighty percent contained.

Battling wildfires is an enormous job. But here on the island, there are only around a hundred firefighters responding to three different scenes. For context, in New York City, two hundred firefighters responded to a crane fire last week. And for that reason, the military has been brought in to assist with search and rescue and even civilians are helping out. Tonight, Hawaii is in a state of shock. And resources are stretched thin as firefighters battle three large wildfires burning in Maui. Hundreds of structures, mostly in the town of Lahaina, are already gone. Blue Hawaii Helicopters is delivering basic supplies to those who lost everything. We were there as they helped this family evacuate. Hurricane-force winds sent a wall of flames tearing across the island on Tuesday, giving residents little time to react. The coast guard rescued seventeen people who ran into the ocean to escape the flames in an apocalyptic scene. The death toll is expected to climb as block after block of Lahaina has been reduced to charred rubble. More than eleven thousand people, mostly tourists have already been evacuated. It’s a major below to Maui’s economy. Last year, tourism generated more than five and a half billion dollars in revenue, roughly eighty percent of total revenue.