Page 2 - Hawaii

How did Maui fire spread so quickly? Overgrown gully may be key to probe

Melted remains of an old car tire. Heavily burned trees. A charred stump of an abandoned utility pole. Investigators are examining these and other pieces of evidence as they seek to solve the mystery of last month's deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare up again hours later into a devastating inferno? The answer may lie in an overgrown gully beneath Hawaiian Electric Co. power lines and something that harboured smoldering embers from the initial fire before rekindling in high winds into a wall of flame that quickly overtook the town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of structures and killing at least 97 people. But as investigators sift through blackened debris to explain the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, one fact has become clear: Hawaiian Electric's right-of-way was untrimmed and unkempt for years, despite being in an area classified as being at high risk for wildfires. Aerial and ...

Maui fire missing list falls to 385, Guv indicated it would be below 100

The number of people on the official list of those missing from the Maui wildfire stood at 385 on Friday, nearly unchanged from a week earlier. In a news release, the Maui Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said 245 people on the list of 388 made public the previous week were located and removed from the list. However, a nearly equal number of new names were added. The updated total was a startling departure from what had been expected a day earlier Governor Josh Green said he had expected the number would fall below 100. We think the number has dropped down into the double digits, so thank God, Green said in a video posted to his account on X, formerly known as Twitter. Authorities have said at least 115 people died in the fire, which tore through Lahaina in a matter of hours on August 8 the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. So far, the names of 50 people have been publicly released and five others have been identified

Officials release list of 'unaccounted' people after Maui wildfire

However, within a day of making the list public, at least 100 people were crossed off, after they were reported "safe and sound"

Hawaii officials urge families of missing people to give DNA samples

Authorities in Hawaii pleaded Tuesday with relatives of those missing after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century to come forward and give DNA samples, saying the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the ashes. Some 1,000 to 1,100 names remain on the FBI's tentative, unconfirmed list of people unaccounted for after wildfires destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina on Maui. But the family assistance centre so far has collected DNA from just 104 families, said Julie French, who is helping lead efforts to identify remains by DNA analysis. Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin, who is running the centre, said that the number of family members coming in to provide DNA samples is a lot lower" than in other major disasters around the country, though it wasn't immediately clear why. That's our concern, that's why I'm here today, that's why I'm asking for this help, he said. Martin and French sought to reassur

Maui confronts challenge of finding those unaccounted for after deadly fire

Two weeks after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say more than 800 people remain unaccounted for a staggering number that presents huge challenges for officials who are trying to determine how many of those perished and how many may have made it to safety but haven't checked in. Something similar happened after a wildfire in 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Authorities in Butte County, home to Paradise, ultimately published a list of the missing in the local newspaper, a decision that helped identify scores of people who had made it out alive but were listed as missing. Within a month, the list dropped from 1,300 names to only a dozen. I probably had, at any given time, 10 to 15 detectives who were assigned to nothing but trying to account for people who were unaccounted for, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said in a phone interview. At one point the local editor of ou

Federal govt will help Maui 'for as long as it takes' to recover: Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation grieves with you and promised that the federal government will help Maui for as long as it takes to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. Standing near a burned, but still standing, 150-year-old Banyon tree, the president acknowledged the overwhelming devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy. Today it's burned but it's still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis. Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation wrought by the flames that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, .

Immigrant workers' lives, jobs, documents in limbo after Hawaii fire

Freddy Tomas was working in his yard in Lahaina when the fire advanced with stunning speed right up to his fence. He rushed to save valuables from a safe inside his house but realised he didn't have time and fled, his face blackened with soot. Days after fleeing in his pickup truck, amid smoke so thick he could only follow the red taillights of the vehicle in front of him and pray they were going the right way, the retired hotel worker from the Philippines returned to his destroyed home with his son to look for the safe. Tomas, 65, said it had contained passports, naturalisation papers, other important documents and USD 35,000. After sifting through the ashes, father and son found the safe, but it had popped open in the fire, whipped by hurricane-force winds, and its contents were incinerated. For immigrants like Tomas, Lahaina was an oasis, with nearly double the foreign-born population of the US mainland. Now, those workers are trying to piece their lives back together after the

Maui's emergency services chief resigns amid criticism for no fire sirens

The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly Thursday, a day after saying he had no regret about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people. That decision from the agency directed by Administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents. The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, and The Associated Press reported that it was part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided. Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible, Bissen said in the

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Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green vowed to keep the land in local people's hands" after a deadly wildfire that incinerated a historic Maui community, as the island's schools began reopening and traffic resumed on a major road. Green said at a Wednesday news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges. My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimised from a land grab, Green said. People are right now traumatised. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. Do not approach their families saying they'll be much better off if they make a deal. Because we're not going to allow it. Also Wednesday, the number of dead reached 111, and Maui police said nine victims had been identified, and the families of five had been notified. A mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived Tuesday to help process and identify ...

Joe Biden, First Lady to visit wildfire-hit Hawaii to review recovery work

"The President and First Lady will travel to Maui on Monday, August 21 to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires

2 victims of the deadly Maui wildfire identified, death toll rises to 106

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. 2 VICTIMS OF LAHAINA WILDFIRE IDENTIFIED AS THE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 106 Maui County released the names of two people killed in the wildfire that all but incinerated the historic town of Lahaina Tuesday evening, as the death toll rose to 106. A mobile morgue unit arrived on Tuesday to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify remains, as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighbourhoods reduced to ash. The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and oth

Death toll from devastating Maui fire reaches 101, says Hawaii governor

A mobile morgue unit has arrived to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify the remains of people killed in wildfires that ravaged Maui, as the death rose above 100 and teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods reduced to ash. Gov. Josh Green announced the confirmed death toll had risen from 99 to 101 in an afternoon video address, saying, We are heartsick that we've had such loss. The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agency's deputy assistant secretary for response. It's going to be a very, very difficult mission, Greene said. And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims. A week after a blaze tore through historic Lahaina, many survivors started moving into hundreds of hotel rooms set aside for displaced locals, while donations of

Biden, first lady to survey Maui damage as soon as they can, announces prez

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. BIDEN SAYS HE AND FIRST LADY WILL VISIT HAWAII SOON President Joe Biden says he and first lady Jill Biden will visit Hawaii as soon as we can to survey the Maui wildfire damage. He said he doesn't want his presence to interrupt recovery and cleanup efforts. My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, Biden said Tuesday in Milwaukee at a White House event held to highlight his economic agenda. I don't want to get in the way, the president said, adding that recovery work being carried about by emergency responders and search and rescue teams is ...

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Search efforts in Hawaii starting to move a little faster: Official

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters. SEARCH EFFORTS IN HAWAII ARE GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE FASTER, OFFICIAL SAYS A state official in Hawaii says the search-and-rescue operation in Maui is taking painstaking efforts to finds survivors and victims of last week's deadly mass fire. Jeff Hickman is the director of public affairs for the Hawaii Department of Defence. He said on NBC's Today show that teams are going street by street, block by block between cars, and soon they'll start to enter buildings. Hickman said the Hawaii National Guard has over 110 personnel assisting Maui County with the search and rescue operation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is al

Tourists urged to avoid Maui as hotels prepare to take in evacuees

Hawaii officials urged tourists to avoid travelling to Maui as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island that faces a long recovery from the wildfire that demolished a historic town and killed more than 90 people. About 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of Kahului Airport in West Maui since the devastation in Lahaina became clear Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses," the agency said in a statement late Saturday. Tourists are encouraged to visit Hawaii's other islands. Gov Josh Green said 500 hotels rooms will be made available for locals who have been displaced. An additional 500 hotel rooms will be set aside for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some ..

Maui wildfire death toll reaches 93, making it deadliest in US in 100 years

A fire that swept through a picturesque town in Maui this week has killed at least 89 people, authorities said Saturday, making it the deadliest US wildfire of the past century. The newly released figure surpassed the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds. At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Maui's Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry. A fourth broke out Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

In search for cause of Hawaii wildfires, lawyers probe power lines

Hawaiian Electric said it doesn't have information on what caused the fires, according to an email statement from spokesman Darren Pai

Maui wildfire survivors start returning to ruins, death toll likely to rise

The grim work of tallying the dead after a ferocious wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui came into sharp focus Saturday as crews picked through the devastation, marking homes with a bright orange X to signal they had searched for bodies and HR when they found human remains. At least 80 people perished in the inferno that swept through the centuries-old town of Lahaina on Maui's west coast. As the homes that remained standing got their marks, residents who barely made it out alive returned to take an inventory of their loss. Most of our focus will be on humans today, Gov Josh Green said Saturday as he and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency stood under the scorched branches of an old, treasured banyan tree on historic Front Street. Green said operations were now centered on the loss of life. The fire reduced hundreds of homes to ash, sending emergency workers scrambling Saturday to find temporary housing for those lucky enough to survive. Communications wer