Oprah Winfrey, part-time Maui resident, visits wildfire evacuees at shelter

WAILUKU, Hawaii (KHNL/Gray News) - Oprah Winfrey, a part-time Maui resident, visited evacuees on Thursday.

The media mogul was seen meeting volunteers and talking with residents who have been evacuated from their homes.

Thousands of Maui residents have congregated at the War Memorial Gymnasium after the island’s devastating wildfires.

At this time, 67 people have been confirmed killed and dozens injured. However, those numbers are expected to rise as rescue crews continue to make their way through the burn areas.

Aerial footage taken during a flyover Thursday showed the widespread devastation caused by the deadly wildfires in Hawaii’s historic town of Lahaina.

The gym has been turned into a shelter and it’s also being used as a donation drop-off location for victims.

According to the group Kakoo-Haleakala, Winfrey offered to buy supplies for the shelter that included cots, blankets and toiletries.

The former talk show host is one of Maui’s biggest private landholders, owning more than a thousand acres in Kula and Hana.

More than 100 National Guard members have been deployed to the island, and more than a dozen helicopters have been doing water drops or search and rescue missions.

At least 271 structures were confirmed damaged or destroyed by flames.

Maui officials have shared information on how to help residents affected by the wildfires.