A luxury Maui resort was evacuated Sunday night as a fast-moving brush fire swept through Wailea, CBS Hawaii affiliate KGMB reports. Guests and employees at Hotel Wailea, a five-star resort, were evacuated at about 8:30 p.m., almost two hours after the wind-whipped blaze started.

That followed the flames jumping a highway.

Other Wailea residents and visitors were told to prepare for possible evacuation, as well, Maui Emergency Management Agency officials said. The advisory was being sent out to people in the area via cell phone towers in the vicinity.

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Maui officials said seven fire trucks, two water tankers and a ladder company were battling the flames.

Brush fire that forced evacuation of luxury Maui resort is seen in background on January 6, 2019 Clint Hansen, Maui Luxury Real Estate LLC

Hotel Wailea shut off propane tanks and police were on the property knocking on doors telling people to leave.

The American Red Cross of Hawaii opened an emergency shelter at a local community center to assist affected visitors and residents.

It was unclear how many acres the fire had scorched in its early stages. But as of late Sunday, the blaze was "actively burning" and not under control, a Maui Fire Department spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Maui Electric crews responded to a power outage in the area. The Grand Wailea Hotel lost electricity and was running on a backup generator.

It's unclear if the fire caused the blackout, but Maui Electric confirmed it has a substation near where the blaze started.







