Death Toll in Maui Climbs to At Least 55 People With More Still Missing

Posted: August 11, 2023 1:22 pm

At least 55 people are confirmed to be dead as a result of the massive wildfire that engulfed part of the western edge of Maui earlier in the week. Here is the latest on this tragedy in Hawaii.

Lahaina Virtually Destroyed by Fire

Just as authorities had been warning, the death toll continued to mount in Maui on Friday as crews sifted through the rubble left behind by the inferno that started on Tuesday. Local government officials are also warning that they are unclear about the number of people who still may be missing, meaning that the death toll could continue to rise in the coming days as the full devastation of the fire becomes more clear.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that his office expects to see more loss of life, detailing that the bodies recovered so far have all been found outside of homes and buildings. Green also said that the wildfire and its impacts will likely go down as the largest natural disaster in the history of the state. With a death toll currently at 55, the fire has already been distinguished as the second deadliest blaze in U.S. history.

As ground zero of the fire, the historic and popular tourist town of Lahaina has been decimated by the flames. Approximately 1,700 buildings are estimated to have been destroyed or significantly damaged on this part of Maui.

Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said that it is difficult to get a good grasp on the number of people still unaccounted for due to the lack of cell phone service and other communication services on this part of the island. Roughly 11,000 customers are still without power.

The positive news coming out of Maui on Friday morning is that this fire is now 80% contained. Meanwhile, fire crews are also making steady progress on getting the other two fires on the island under control. Crews caution that the erratic weather as of late means that the fires could quickly change direction or intensity.

Government Response to Maui Wildfire

U.S President Joe Biden issued a federal disaster declaration on Thursday, freeing up crucial resources to help with the recovery efforts on Maui. In addition, the White House announced on Friday that the federal government has authorized the release of sufficient amounts of water and food to support 5,000 displaced residents for at least five days.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working with local officials to provide adequate shelter and supplies to those impacted by the fires. Other federal agencies helping to support these efforts include the Navy National Guard, the Army, and the Coast Guard.

Travel Impacted In and Out of Maui

Thousands of residents are still displaced in and around Lahaina. Gov. Green is pleading with people on the island to take in these displaced residents as hotel rooms remain scarce. Local and state officials are partnering with hotels and airlines to evacuate tourists from the area.

Hawaiian Airlines added more flights from Maui’s Kahului Airport to Honolulu in an effort to evacuate travelers to a safer part of Hawaii. The airline is also offering these flights at a steep discount of $19 to facilitate the evacuation.

Tourists are being strongly discouraged to change or cancel travel plans to Maui at this point. Most airlines are offering travel waivers for those with flights already booked to Maui.

While there have also been fires on a smaller scale impacting the Big Island, travel to Oahu and Kauai has not been impacted by the disaster. Flights to these islands are operating normally with hotel bookings remaining active and open.

Status of Iconic Banyan Tree

Many people who have traveled to Maui and fell in love with the island’s special brand of magic have been worried about Lahaina’s iconic banyan tree. The tree towers up into the sky for 60 feet, stretching nearly an entire block in downtown Lahaina’s courthouse square. At almost 150 years old, the tree was imported from India and planted in the square in 1873.

The early reports indicate that while the tree was burned, it is still standing proud in the square. If it will be able to survive that damage that it took on is still unclear. Locals are hanging on to hope that the tree will make it through and serve as a reminder of the effort to rebuild the town.

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