Breed was on a “personal trip,” her office said, and she has since relocated to the island of Oahu.
“The Governor of Hawaii issued an order encouraging all visitors to depart the island,” Breed’s office wrote in a statement. “[Breed] has left the island and is now on Oahu. The Mayor was never in danger. This wildfire is devastating to witness and our thoughts are with the people of Maui.”
Breed’s office declined to answer questions about how the mayor was transported to Oahu. “This was a personal trip for the Mayor so we are not sharing additional details right now,” it wrote to SFGATE.
The wildfires on Maui, which were accelerated by winds from a passing hurricane, started Tuesday. The fires have killed at least 36 people so far, with dozens more injured, the Associated Press reported. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed, particularly on the west side of the island. Footage has shown widespread devastation to the historic town of Lahaina, which “is almost totally burnt to the ground,” Sen. Brian Schatz wrote in a social media post Wednesday.
