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<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#261f20;font-size:14px"><strong>Incredible video shows Lahaina church miraculously untouched by devastating Maui wildfires </strong> &#8211; <strong>The Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina is seen still standing amidst the rubble </strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#261f20;font-size:14px"><strong>Wildfires burned across Hawaii after strong winds from Hurricane Dora and dry conditions ignited blazes that has left devastation and a rising death toll</strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#261f20;font-size:14px"><strong>Similarly surviving though scorched is Lahaina&#8217;s famous landmark, the historic banyan tree that spans two acres </strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#261f20;font-size:14px"><strong>The church, which has stood since 1846, maintained its stained glass and tower structure even as the ground around it smolders </strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#261f20;font-size:14px"><strong>Death toll now stands at 55 and rising as the search and rescue task continues, with 271 structures damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injure,</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Maria-Lanakila-Catholic-Church-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446731" style="width:833px;height:1384px" width="833" height="1384"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>The Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina on the the island of Maui in Hawaii, is seen still standing amidst the rubble, after fire razed the surrounding areas</strong></p>



<p>A small act of mercy has come to light in Maui where Lahaina Church has been spared the devastation that has razed the rest of the historic town to the ground.<br>Wildfires burned across Hawaii after strong winds from Hurricane Dora and dry conditions ignited blazes that has left devastation and a rising death toll.<br> A video posted to TikTok shows the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina still standing amidst the rubble.<br>The church, which has stood since 1846, is seen in a video posted to TikTok standing proud with its stain glass and tower structure in place even as the ground around it smolders. <br>Members of the church&#8217;s community took to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/facebook/index.html">Facebook</a> to express their gratitude the building had been saved. <br>Jeffrey Chang wrote: &#8216;May She be the beacon of hope&#8230;to help the rest of the community.&#8217;</p>



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ShV7CeN1j4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<p>The blazing wildfires raged through the city of Lahaina on Maui whipped by strong winds from Dora passing far to the south, took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. <br>Flames roared throughout the night, people to dive into the ocean for safety. <br>271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured, officials said earlier. <br>Multiple neighborhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island was nearly cut off, with only one highway open and thousands to evacuate as officials told of widespread devastation to Lahaina, its harbor and surrounding areas. <br>At least 55 people have been reported killed while 20 people suffered serious burns and were airlifted to Oahu. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen warned the death toll &#8220;could go up.&#8221;<br>Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation that authorized the Hawaii National Guard to aid authorities with disaster relief.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Richard-Bissen-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446754" style="width:841px;height:662px" width="841" height="662"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Governor Josh Green, [left], joined County of Maui Mayor, Richard Bissen[right], to inspect the ruins Friday</strong></p>



<p>Six fires are burning in Maui and the Big Island, but officials said the Lahaina fire is now 80% contained. Many of the town&#8217;s historic landmarks are lost.<br>Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the fires are likely to be the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. It appears like a &#8220;bomb&#8221; went off, he said, as survivors recount the harrowing experience of losing &#8216;everything&#8217;, including their homes and businesses.</p>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Banyan-tree-around-the-Maria-Lanakila-Catholic-Church-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-post-fire-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446733" style="width:843px;height:473px" width="843" height="473"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Banyan tree around the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina, Hawaii post fire </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Banyan-tree-around-the-Maria-Lanakila-Catholic-Church-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-pre-fire-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446744" style="width:842px;height:546px" width="842" height="546"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Lahaina’s banyan, near the town&#8217;s historic courthouse building, is known as the oldest living banyan tree in the US. Both the tree and the courthouse have been severely damaged. </strong></p>



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<p>commenting on the miraculous survival of the church, another user, Jeffrey Domdoma wrote: &#8216;May she be the beacon of hope to the people of Lahaina!!!! Praise the Lord… upon this rock I will build my church!!! come and follow me….&#8217; <br>Terrence Watanabe, pastor of the nearby parish of St. Anthony’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/we-lost-the-whole-town-hawaiian-priest" target="_blank">told The Pillar</a> &#8216;all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing, as is the rectory. The school&#8217;s been a little bit affected.&#8217;<br>Speaking of the church&#8217;s local relief efforts Watanabe said &#8216;our bishop just got back from the meeting on the mainland… the diocese – they’re meeting today to decide what they can help with. <br>&#8216;Catholic Charities here in Hawaii is also mobilizing at this point. And I think they’ve already contacted the national office for some help and support.<br>&#8216;Here at St. Anthony [Parish], we’ve started a fund for people to donate to&#8217; he added. <br>Lahaina&#8217;s 150-year-old banyan tree also appears to have survived the fires. <br>As of Friday the historic tree, with 47 trunks, was still standing albeit severely scorched from the flames. <br>It is not yet known whether the tree, which was imported from India in 1873, will survive. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Drone-shot-of-devastation-left-in-Lahaina-Hawaii-after-fire.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446738" style="width:842px;height:477px" width="842" height="477"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Drone video shows extent of devastation left in Lahaina</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Banyan-tree-around-the-Maria-Lanakila-Catholic-Church-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-post-fire-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446737" style="width:841px;height:544px" width="841" height="544"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>The historic banyan tree remains standing amid the carnage but appears badly burnt </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Banyan-tree-around-the-Maria-Lanakila-Catholic-Church-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-pre-fire-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446736" style="width:844px;height:550px" width="844" height="550"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>The 150-year-old banyan tree in Lahaina town covers almost two acres of land near the courthouse </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Wild-fires-in-downtown-Lahaina-in-Maui-Hawaii-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446747" style="width:839px;height:456px" width="839" height="456"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>The wildfires on Hawaii&#8217;s Big Island and Maui are known to have killed 55 as of Friday morning</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Smoking-ruins-after-devastating-fire-in-downtown-Lahaina-Hawaii-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446745" style="width:844px;height:480px" width="844" height="480"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Smoke rises from ruins of Lahaina, after devastating wildfire &#8211; just one of six fires raging through Maui in the past two days</strong></p>



<p>Lahaina’s banyan, near the town&#8217;s historic courthouse building, is known as the oldest living banyan tree in the US.<br>Planted at just 8 feet tall It now stands at over 60 feet and spans nearly two acres, according to the Lahaina Town website.<br>The tree is a member of the fig tree family and its aerial roots drape towards the ground, which allow the tree to grow vertically and horizontally.<br>It is also host to hundreds of mynah birds, which were introduced to Hawaii in 1865 to control army worms.<br>The wildfires broke out on Tuesday, spreading quickly and ferociously. The exact cause remains unclear but high winds, dry conditions and low humidity exacerbated the flames.<br>As of Friday morning fifty-five people have been confirmed dead and 1,000 remain missing three days on from the blaze. <br>A massive search and rescue mission is now underway and cadaver dogs have also been brought in to help search for bodies among the ruins.<br>In an interview this morning, the Mayor of Maui County said the bodies found so far have all been discovered in the street, outside properties. Search teams have not yet begun pulling bodies from homes and businesses.<br>An unknown number of people are also thought to have perished in their cars while trying to escape the hellish flames.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-32.png" alt="" class="wp-image-446759"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>The , Governor joined Mayor Bissen and other officials walk through banyan court after the fires, on Friday</strong></p>



<p>Mayor Richard Bissen joined Governor Josh Green, Senator Brian Schatz, Senator Lynn DeCoite, State Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen and Regional Administrator for FEMA Robert Fenton on a Lahaina site visit on Thursday, August 10. <br>The visit was followed by a press conference where Governor Green announced President Biden’s declaration that a major disaster exists and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. <br>Governor Green also issued a state of emergency proclamation along with Mayor Bissen.</p>

Video shows Lahaina Catholic Church miraculously untouched by devastating Maui wildfires, historic banyan tree also still standing – death toll now at 55, as Gov declares state of emergency
