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A Hawaiian family with a ten-generation history in West Maui has put up a sign stating 'Tourist Keep Out'

A Hawaiian family with a ten-generation history in West Maui has put up a sign stating 'Tourist Keep Out'
Lahaina was one of the areas most affected by the wildfires. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Peter Unger/Getty Images 

By mdescalsota@insider.com (Marielle Descalsota) 30 Aug 2023

"You have tourists taking pictures of the destruction in Lahaina while there are still bodies there," Courtney Lazo said. More than 100 people were killed in the wildfires that devasted Maui, an island in Hawaii.

A family in Maui has made a sign telling tourists to keep out of Lahaina while rescue efforts are ongoing.

The Lazo family has lived in Hawaii for about 10 generations and represents yet another group of locals unhappy with tourists visiting the island after the devastating wildfires, ABC News reported.

Laihana, where the Lazo family lives, is located in West Maui. It was one of the areas most affected by the fires, destroying 80% of the land. Lahaina is a tourism hot spot — some two million people are said to visit the city every year.

One family member, Courtney, told ABC News that she found it inappropriate to see tourists in Hawaii vacationing while locals "haven't even had the time to grieve on our own."

"You have tourists taking pictures of the destruction in Lahaina while there's still bodies there. They're snorkeling off the waters while they're pulling people out of the water," Courtney said in the report, adding that the presence of tourists felt "like a slap in the face."

The Lazo family has made a sign warning tourists to stay out of the neighborhood, ABC News reported. Vance Dizon, Courtney's uncle, helped make the sign that says: "Tourist Keep Out."

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Dizon has the sign attached to a fence near the border of their neighborhood, aiming to create an unofficial checkpoint and block out tourists, ABC News reported.

Dizon and his brother narrowly escaped being burned in a fire by hiding behind a seawall in the ocean, said in an Instagram post by his niece, Tiare Lawrence. Dizon suffered an injury to his arm while running to safety, per the post.

View this post on Instagram

More than 100 people were killed in the wildfires in Maui, and more than 300 people were said to be missing.

Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, with over 10.4 million visitors in 2019. The Hawaii Tourism Authority says it "urges visitors to refrain from going to West Maui" but tourists are welcome to visit other areas in Hawaii.

Courtney and Lawrence did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.


Later video report from Lahaina.