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Bernd Weber, eyewitness:
"That was the fish market. I'm so sorry guys. We put so much hard work into it. I can't believe it. That's the worst nightmare."
The »fish market« was Anatol Eisele's restaurant. Born in Germany, he came to Hawaii 30 years ago. Now, after the devastating forest fires, an acquaintance stands in front of charred ruins of the building. He can't believe what started the fire in the town on the island of Maui.
Bernd Weber, eyewitness:
"Holy Shit. My god. That's crazy."
Just a few days ago, Lahaina was a beautiful, popular vacation spot. Now it lies in ruins, the images look like they come from a war zone.
Satellite images show what the region looked like before the fire – and what it looked like afterwards.
Josh Green, Governor:
"What we have experienced is probably the largest natural disaster in the history of the state of Hawaii."
Several fires broke out on Tuesday. More than 50 people have been killed. As of now, it is the deadliest disaster since a tsunami in 1960, when 61 people died. And the search for missing people continues after the fires – it is likely that the number of victims will continue to rise. According to the governor, the financial damage is in the billions.
Violent gusts of wind made the situation particularly dangerous: they ensured that the fire spread quickly. This made the work of the rescue workers more difficult.
Numerous tourists fled the island. On Wednesday alone, about 11,000 holidaymakers flew out – and delivered images from the air.
Some people saved themselves in their boats on the water – and also documented from there how the fire raged on the coast.
This family from California also sought shelter from the flames in the Pacific. Mother, father and five children escaped into the sea and found a floating board there. First they clung to it – then to rocks.
Vixay Phonxaylinkham, eyewitness:
"I have scratches on my hands and feet, from rocks and from glass, because there were explosions that caused things to fly into the sea. They were big explosions. We could feel the waves, the shock waves of the explosions."
According to the father, the family barely survived the disaster.
Vixay Phonxaylinkham, eyewitness:
"The ocean almost washed away my children a few times. We stayed together, held on. I said we weren't going to die like that. We're here, we're alive."
It will be a long time before things get back to normal in Lahaina and the other affected places in Hawaii. Just like restaurant owner Anatol Eisele, many people are faced with the ruins of their existence.