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No sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials say
HONOLULU (AP) — Lead screening conducted on west Maui residents after last summer’s devastating wildfires showed no widespread exposure to the toxic metal, Hawaii health officials said Thursday. Blood samples were taken from 557 people after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century ripped through the town of Lahaina, killing 101 people. Just 27 people’s screening results came out positive, and subsequent testing showed 15 of them did not have elevated blood lead levels and were determined to have had a false positive, the state health department said. “While the effects of the August 8 wildfires on the community have been devastating, it’s reassuring to know that people in the community are not showing elevated blood lead levels,” state Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink said in a statement. “On the basis of these results with lead as an indicator of exposure, we do not expect to find health impacts caused by toxins in the wildfire ash.”
One person displaced from Harbor Lights condominium unit fire
One person was displaced following a fire in a third-floor unit at the Harbor Lights condominium in Kahului on Wednesday morning. The fire was reported at 8:13 a.m. on May 8. Crews had the fire under control by 8:27 a.m. and extinguished by 9:25 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find heavy...
Update: Maui fire crews respond to two brush fires at Piʻihana Farms in Wailuku
Maui fire crews responded to two brush fires in the Piʻihana Farms area of Wailuku on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The first fire was reported at 10:11 a.m. and extinguished at 12:55 p.m., involving about an acre of brush and an abandoned vehicle. A second fire was reported at 1:12 p.m. and was extinguished at 3:25 p.m. It also involved brush and another abandoned vehicle in a different area. No structures were threatened by either fire, according to fire officials. The cause of both fires is under investigation.
Heartbreaking: Mele Ukulele to close its longtime Wailuku flagship store
After 27 years at the entrance to downtown Wailuku, Mele Ukulele will close its flagship store following the sale of its location near Wailuku bridge to a mainland owner. Shutting the store’s doors on May 30 “breaks my heart,” said co-owner Cheryl Rock, who opened the Wailuku store with husband Mike Rock in 1997 and began the business with him creating instruments from scratch.
55th Annual Barrio Fiesta, May 24-25
The 55th Annual Barrio Fiesta takes place May 24 and 24 at the Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center in Kahului. Friday’s hours are 5-10 p.m., and Saturday’s event will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Melen Agcolicol, president of Binhi at Ani said, “We continue to...
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