Hawaii Fires LIVE: Maui Wildfire Photos And Updates, Lahaina And Kula

[Mary Wilson]

The latest details on resources, rescues and other info about ongoing Maui fires.

About 2 hours ago
By The Civil Beat Staff​

The death toll from the wildfires still raging in Maui rose to 53 Thursday as firefighters continued to battle the flames. President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in Hawaii, paving the way for more federal aid to help the islands cope with the devastating aftermath of rapidly spreading wildfires.

Damage was still being assessed, but the county earlier reported that more than 200 buildings were damaged, with many “burned to the ground.” ...

https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/live-maui-wildfire-photos-and-updates-lahaina-and-kula/
​

 

[Mary Wilson]

Maui wildfires: Officials worry death toll will climb with only 32% of the burn area searched

Updated 8:10 PM EDT, Tue August 15, 2023
By Nouran Salahieh, CNN

... At least 99 people have been confirmed dead from the wildfires, ... Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told CNN Monday.

... A portable morgue unit has arrived in Hawaii and will help authorities identify and process remains with equipment such as examination tables, X-ray units and laboratory equipment, Jonathan Greene, deputy assistant secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday.

... Authorities had gone through about 32% of the search area as of Tuesday morning, the county said.​


... The Maui wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than 100 years, according to the National Fire Protection Association.​

... Calls to provide DNA: Those with missing family members have been urged to contact authorities to provide DNA samples, which would help in the identification process. Only three of those killed could be identified through fingerprints, Pelletier said, stressing the need for the DNA swabs.​

... Coast Guard shifts focus: The US Coast Guard in Maui is moving from search and rescue mode to containing potentially hazardous materials in the ocean left behind by the fires. Sonar technology was brought in and a 100-foot boom placed at the mouth of the Lahaina Harbor, the service said.​

... Questions over siren systems and fire hydrants
As the fires quickly advanced on the historic town of Lahaina last week, first responders encountered weak water pressure and fire hydrants running dry, several firefighters told the New York Times.

“There was just no water in the hydrants,” Keahi Ho, one of the firefighters working in Lahaina, told the paper. ...

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/15/us/hawaii-maui-wildfires-death-toll-tuesday/index.html
​

 

[Mary Wilson]

Grim search continues for 1,300 missing in Maui

August 15, 2023 4:41pm Updated​
By Olivia Land

Maui continued its grim search Tuesday for around 1,300 still missing from the deadliest wildfire in US history, as officials have only been able to comb through about a quarter of the disaster zone now feared to be a partial graveyard. ...

https://nypost.com/2023/08/15/grim-search-continues-for-1300-missing-in-maui/
​