The wildfire that’s been tearing across the island of Maui has proven devastating, with people forced to leap into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames and a growing.
The wildfire that’s been tearing across the island of Maui has proven devastating, with people forced to leap into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames and a growing death toll of more than 50. The city of Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was especially hard hit, with much of it destroyed as of Thursday. One landmark there in particular has been on everyone’s radar: the 60-foot-high banyan tree in the center of town, a historic landmark that has offered shade to locals and visitors alike for 150 years, per the AP.
The banyan, whose 16 trunks and limbs spread over nearly an acre along Lahaina’s Front Street, is scorched but still standing, reports the Honolulu Civil Beat, though it’s not clear if it will ultimately make it.
