The museums destroyed in the Maui wildfires

Plus: How museums respond to disasters |

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By Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer More than a 100 people have perished so far in the wildfires ravaging the Hawaiian island of Maui over the last week, and the death toll is expected to grow. The island has lost both life and history: More than 2,700 structures are believed to have been destroyed, including several sites significant to Hawaii’s past.  I talked to local museum officials in Lahaina, one of the hardest hit areas, who say thousands of objects have been lost and four museum buildings have been gutted—including the oldest home in Maui and a social hall for Chinese immigrants who helped build the tunnels and irrigation systems in the mountains. “If you're into environmentalism, if you're into surfing, if you're into history, something was lost in all those ways,”  Kimberly Flook, Deputy Executive Director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, told me. Click here to read the full story. If you’re looking for ways to help the victims, here’s a list of organizations accepting donations.

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