Maui Wildfire Death Toll Soars as Search Efforts Continue

Posted: August 14, 2023 9:45 am

The death toll from the Maui wildfires approached the century mark this weekend with officials warning that this number is likely to keep climbing as cadaver dogs continue to look for victims. Here is the latest on this tragedy, now distinguished as the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in over 100 years.

Maui Wildfire is Largest Natural History in Hawaii History

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green spoke to the media on Saturday night, calling the Maui wildfires the largest natural disaster in the history of the Aloha State. The fast-moving inferno whipped through the town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of homes, businesses, and historic landmarks.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier confirmed that only 3% of the impact zone has been searched by the cadaver dogs. The majority of the confirmed fatalities were people that were found outside and not in their homes. Meanwhile, only two of the deaths have been identified.

Although it is still too early to determine the full scope of the damage, Gov. Green said on Saturday that officials were estimating losses of close to $6 billion. The one highway in and out of Lahaina remains restricted for use of just residents and service providers. Residents were lining up to access the area and retrieve belongings left behind after they had to evacuate.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that over 1,400 people are being housed at evacuation shelters. Approximately 1,000 hotel rooms are being used for evacuees and first responders. The biggest challenge comes in finding rooms that have power.

Update on Status of Fires

Fire crews are making progress on the frontlines of the three major blazes burning in Maui. While the large Lahaina fire has not been fully contained, it has also not expanded in size thanks to the winds that have died down across the island.

The Pulehu fire in Kihei is now 100% contained. The third major fire burning in the foothills of the Upcountry was listed as 50% contained heading into the weekend.

Emergency Siren System Not Activated

Local officials are coming under scrutiny for a failure to activate the island’s emergency siren system. According to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the state’s outdoor siren system was not triggered as the fire approached Lahaina.

This system is known as the largest and most complex system of its kind in the world, boasting about 400 alarms that were installed to warn of tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other types of natural disasters. The island of Maui has 80 outdoor sirens alone.

There is no concrete explanation yet as to why nobody at the state or county level tried to trigger these sirens. Officials said that they were busy attempting to coordinate the response on the ground as the flames spread at a rapid clip. Authorities also maintain that they sent out cell phone alerts and used television and radio station alerts to warn residents to evacuate immediately. Unfortunately, the flames had already cut power and mobile phone service to most people, meaning that thousands did not receive any alert at all.

The flames spread with such speed and intensity because of the strong winds whipping around at the time of the ignition. The hilly and dry terrain of the island supported the fast development of this inferno. As a result, most residents self-evacuated without any notice from authorities.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will investigate the failure, leading a review of the emergency response system to understand all of the decisions made before and during the fire.

Early Weather Warnings

Despite the failure of the outdoor alert system, forecasters had been warning of the threat of wildfires for days. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu issued what is known as a fire weather watch on Sunday. This watch cautioned that strong winds pairing with low humidity levels could increase the risk of wildfire danger in the leeward portions of the islands in the coming days.

By Monday morning, the NWS had upgraded this watch to a red flag warning in some areas. The warning noted that any fires that erupt will spread quickly. Residents of Lahaina confirmed that the flames did indeed whip up and expand in just minutes, leaving little to no time to evacuate.

Conditions were relatively calm by the middle of the day Tuesday as crews had been able to contain any small fires that did get going. However, the situation changed quickly on Maui by the late afternoon. There were several evacuation notices in place for both the Lahaina and the Upcountry Maui blazes by 6 pm local time.

Donations Pour in for Wildfire Recovery Efforts

Donations have been pouring in to help with the recovery and rebuilding efforts. On Friday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez announced that they are giving $100 million dollars to aid in the recovery phase. The couple created the Maui Fund to help initially and later down the road as more needs arise.

There are a number of ways to help with what is sure to be a massive rebuilding process while also addressing the immediate needs of those residents who have been displaced from their homes. The American Red Cross Maui Chapter is leading up the efforts to provide food and shelter to residents. You can make a financial contribution online with the Red Cross, indicating that the money should go toward the Maui wildfire relief fund.

Other trustworthy organizations to give to include the Maui Food Bank, World Central Kitchen (WCK), the Maui Humane Society, and Maui Strong. Giving of your time and money is one of the best ways to be a part of the Aloha spirit of Hawaii.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts