Oldest house in Maui is razed to the ground by deadly wildfires: The Baldwin House built in 1834 in Lahaina once played host to members of the Hawaiian royal family when city was capital

• The oldest house in Maui has been burnt to the ground after wildfires devastated the town of Lahaina 
• A combination of dry conditions and strong winds from a passing hurricane caused the fires to spread rapidly and made them impossible to control 
• READ MORE: Maui fire live updates – follow along for all of the latest coverage 

The oldest house in Maui has been razed to the ground by deadly wildfires that are currently ravaging the islands of Hawaii.

The blaze ran riot through the historic town of Lahaina decimating the popular tourist attraction that dates back to the 1700s.

One of the buildings that was destroyed was the The Baldwin Home, which was  originally in 1834 and was the oldest house still standing on the island. 

County officials said that 271 structures had been impacted and destroyed as a result of the fires. At least 36 people have been killed in the fires that have raged across 2,000 acres of Maui. Hundreds remain missing.

The coastal town of Lahaina was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and a sacred site for the island nation’s kings and queens. 

Aerial footage captured the devastation to Maui’s historic waterfront buildings following the inferno, including the charred remains of the Baldwin Building and the trees that surrounded it

The Baldwin Home’s rooftop can be glimpsed through the dense foliage in this satellite image

The Baldwin Home, pictured here, was the oldest home on the island and has now been destroyed

Taking to Twitter, Senator Brian Schatz said: ‘Lahaina Town on Maui is almost totally burnt to the ground. 

‘Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control, and our first responders are in search and rescue mode.’ 

The Baldwin Home was originally built by Reverend Ephraim Spaulding between 1834-35 in what was referred as a ‘missionary compound’.

After falling ill in 1836, Spaulding travelled to Massachusetts and a medical missionary, Reverend Dwight Baldwin and his family who had been living in a grass hut moved into the home. 

The Baldwins lived on Lahaina until 1868 in the home and frequently opened their doors to weary travelers, ship captains, members of the royal court and visiting consuls. 

In 1853, a smallpox epidemic hit the islands and by this point Baldwin was a physician. 

He managed to quarantine residents of Lahaina and began vaccinating as many people as he could, before travelling round the other islands to do the same. 

Missionary Reverend Dwight Baldwin, pictured here, moved in to the famous property on Front Street in 1835

Before and after pictures taken of the area show the devastation caused by the wildfires

An aerial view shows destroyed homes and buildings that burned to the ground around the harbor and Front Street in the historic Lahaina Town

Reverend Baldwin and his wife then moved to O’ahu to retire near their daughter Charlotte. 

After the roof of the historic building caught fire, the building was completely burnt to the ground. 

Theo Morrison, the executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, told the New York Times: ‘We had no preparation, no warning, nothing.

‘This is the most destructive thing that has happened in this town’s entire history.’ 

Aerial video showed dozens of homes and businesses in Lahaina flattened, including Front Street, where the Baldwin Home once was. 

Smoking heaps of rubble lay piled high next to the waterfront, boats in the harbor were scorched, and gray smoke hovered over the skeletons of charred trees. 

While the exact source of the fires remains unknown, they began on Tuesday fueled by strong winds from the passing Hurricane Dora. 

Horrifying footage shot from a plane landing in Maui shows the extent of the fires which continue to ravage the small island

Low humidity and a prolonged drought season which dried trees also contributed to the disaster, according to officials.

As fires closed in all the way up to the shoreline, frantic locals jumped into the water in the harbor to escape the flames on Tuesday night. Twelve people were rescued from the waves by boats.

Distraught residents of Lahaina woke up on Thursday to photos and videos of their homes entirely destroyed.

‘We just had the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It’s like an apocalypse,’ said one resident.

Another escaped with his wife, children and dog and slept in a Whole Foods parking lot before waking to the news that their home had been destroyed.

President Joe Biden has declared a major emergency in Hawaii, allowing residents and businesses access to federal funding.

It has left hundreds of people missing, with relatives desperately searching for any sign that they might have been rescued or found shelter after fleeing.

Locals have set up a document for relatives to list the last place their loved ones were seen, though authorities are yet to set up any official way or reporting anyone missing.

People gather while waiting for flights at the Kahului Airport Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii

State officials are working with hotels and airlines to try to evacuate thousands of tourists to another island.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation confirmed that Maui’s Kahului Airport is open, with thousands stranded there trying to escape the island.

Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, confirmed that nonessential inbound travel to Maui is strongly discouraged.

He estimated that around 2,000 people stayed overnight in the airport, with a further 4,000 visitors trying to leave the island from the west side.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority said in a statement that West Maui is the area that travelers need to avoid, adding: ‘Visitors with travel plans to stay in other parts of Maui and the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island in the coming weeks are encouraged to contact their hotels for updated information and how their travel plans may be affected.’

State officials are working with hotels and airlines to try to evacuate thousands of tourists to another island

Officials were left scrambling to evacuate the thousands of visitors to the island, and are preparing to move those unable to return to their homes to the Hawaii Convention Center, along with displaced Maui residents.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority worked with the American Red Cross to set up the assistance center, with shuttle buses taking the stranded from Honolulu’s airport every 20 minutes.

To help people get out of Maui as quickly as possible Hawaiian Airlines says it’s added flights and is offering low $19 fares main cabin fares.

‘We’re doing what we can to provide resources to take care of our employees, and we’re doing what we can to take care of our guests,’ said Hawaiian Air CEO Peter Ingram.

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