The Maui wildfires in Hawaii have tragically claimed the lives of 93 individuals, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over 100 years. The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue teams with cadaver dogs continue to sift through the debris in Lahaina.
The extent of the devastation has become more evident four days after the fast-moving blaze ravaged the historic resort town, completely destroying buildings and melting cars in its path.
The estimated cost to rebuild Lahaina is approximately $5.5 billion, as reported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Moreover, over 2,200 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares) have been scorched.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated in a press conference that the death toll is likely to increase as more victims are discovered. So far, the cadaver dog teams have only covered 3% of the search area, according to Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier.
Following the wildfires, there has been a call to review the state’s emergency notification systems to assess whether more could have been done to warn residents before their homes were engulfed in flames. Some individuals were even forced to wade into the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to escape.
The effectiveness of the siren system, which is designed to warn of natural disasters, has been questioned as it did not sound during the crisis. Additionally, widespread power and cellular outages hindered other forms of communication to alert residents.
State Attorney General Anne Lopez has announced a review of the decision-making process leading up to and during the wildfire, and Governor Green has authorized a review of the emergency response as well.
Officials have described a perfect storm of circumstances that complicated coordination efforts during the disaster. These factors included failures in the communications network, gusts of wind reaching up to 80 miles per hour (130 kph) from an offshore hurricane, and another wildfire raging several miles away.
Green expressed, “With time, we will be able to determine if there were opportunities to better protect people. The multiple fires and hazardous winds created extremely challenging conditions.”
The massive death toll from the Maui wildfires makes it Hawaii’s worst natural disaster, surpassing the 61 lives lost in a tsunami in 1960, a year after the state became part of the United States. It also exceeds the number of fatalities in the 2018 Paradise, California wildfire, which claimed 85 lives and is the highest death toll from a wildfire since the 1918 Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin that claimed 453 lives.
To aid those who lost their homes, officials have secured 1,000 hotel rooms and are arranging rental properties at no cost to families, announced Governor Green. Additionally, more than 1,400 people have sought refuge in emergency shelters.
Deanne Criswell, the FEMA director, confirmed the presence of 150 agency personnel on-site. More search teams and dogs will be arriving within the next 48 hours.
Rapid Advance and Current Status
Residents were allowed to return to west Maui on Friday; however, the fire zone in Lahaina remains off-limits. Officials have warned about potential toxic fumes from smoldering areas and ongoing search operations.
There are still hundreds of people reported missing, though an accurate count has yet to be determined.
At a family assistance center in Kahului, June Lacuesta expressed his worry about nine relatives who have not been heard from since Tuesday. Lacuesta is determined to locate his missing loved ones and will continue his search at a nearby church shelter.
Reflecting on the devastation, Lacuesta stated, “When I see Lahaina town itself, I cannot describe the feelings I get.”
The tragedy began shortly after midnight on Tuesday when a brush fire broke out in Kula, located approximately 35 miles (55 km) from Lahaina.
Approximately five hours later, power was lost in Lahaina. The county’s Facebook updates for that morning mentioned a contained three-acre (1.2-hectare) brush fire in Lahaina reported around 6:30 a.m. Five hours later, the Lahaina fire reignited, according to the county’s subsequent updates.
Though the county posted a series of evacuation orders on Facebook, it remains unclear if residents were receiving them as they desperately fled from the rapidly advancing flames.
Witnesses have reported minimal warning as they experienced sheer terror while the fire engulfed the town, seemingly within minutes.