Tag: Maui

Federal investigators deploy to Maui to assist with fire probe

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Washington — In the wake of the devastating wildfires that spread across Maui last week, claiming more than 100 lives, the Justice Department deployed federal emergency response teams to Hawaii to support the local response in determining the cause of the fires.

Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms were dispatched on Friday, the agency announced. The five-investigator team includes an ATF Fire Research Laboratory electrical engineer and an Arson and Explosives Group supervisor.

Federal investigators deployed to help the Maui Police Department’s forces in the aftermath of the Hawaii wildfire.

ATF Instagram

Announcing the deployment, ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson said in a statement, “We hope the deployment of National Response Team resources will allow the residents of Maui, and the state and nation as a whole, to know that we will do everything in our power to support our local counterparts in determining the origin and cause of the wildfires there, and hopefully bring some healing to the community.”

Although the ATF is mainly a law enforcement entity, fire investigators in the bureau often help local entities determine how wildfires started. And they’re not limited to responding to matters in which criminality is suspected.

In addition to the ATF investigators, 15 deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service were deployed to the island to assist with local law enforcement, a U.S. official told CBS News Friday.

Fifteen U.S. Marshals have deployed to Maui to assist with aftermath of wildfires that claimed over 100 lives.

ATF, via X, formerly Twitter

The Justice Department’s response to the Maui blaze also includes agents from the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, according to an ATF social media post. The two components did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under the authority of a Justice Department mechanism called Emergency Support Function #13, federal agencies respond to natural and other disasters to assist with local safety and security. The policy dictates that the first line of response during disasters like the Maui fires lies with state and local authorities, but federal components assist “in situations requiring extensive public safety and security and where State, tribal, and local government resources are overwhelmed or are inadequate.”

Other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security also conduct extensive emergency response functions.

More than 110 people have died as a result of the Lahaina fire — the deadliest wildfire in more than a century according to officials — and the search for victims continues. On Thursday, the head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned after his agency’s response to the blaze came under public scrutiny.

The cause of the fires has not been determined, and investigators are examining whether power lines may have sparked the wildfires.

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August 18, 2023
Maui’s Emergency Services Chief Resigns After Facing Criticism For Not Activating Sirens During Fire

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LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, who has been under fire for not activating disaster sirens during last week’s wildfire response, resigned Thursday, citing health reasons.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen accepted the resignation of Herman Andaya, the County of Maui announced on Facebook.

“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 and I look forward to making that announcement soon,” Bissen said.

As the wildfire death toll rose to 111 on Wednesday, Andaya defended not sounding sirens as flames raged.

Andaya said he was afraid the sirens would have prompted people to flee into mountains or inland, where fires were burning.

Hawaii has what it touts as the largest system of outdoor alert sirens in the world.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui residents whose homes burned in a wildfire that incinerated a historic town and killed more than 100 people are steadily filling Hawaii hotels that are prepared to house them and provide services until at least next spring, officials said Thursday.

Authorities hope to empty crowded, uncomfortable group shelters by early next week and move displaced people into hotel rooms, said Brad Kieserman, vice president for disaster operations with the American Red Cross. Hotels are also available for eligible evacuees who have spent the last eight days sleeping in cars or camping in parking lots, he said.

“We will be able to keep folks in hotels for as long as it takes to find housing for them,” Kieserman said at a media briefing. “I am confident we’ll have plenty of rooms.”

Contracts with the hotels will last for at least seven months but could easily be extended, he said. The properties will be staffed by service providers who will offer meals, counseling, financial assistance and other disaster aid.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has said at least 1,000 hotel rooms will be set aside for those who lost their homes. In addition, AirBnB’s nonprofit wing will provide properties for 1,000 people, the company said.

The governor has also vowed to protect local landowners from being “victimized” by opportunistic buyers when Maui rebuilds. Green said Wednesday that he instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, even as he acknowledged the move would likely face legal challenges.

“My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimized from a land grab,” Green said at a news conference. “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.”

Since flames consumed much of Lahaina just over a week ago, locals have feared that a rebuilt town could become even more oriented toward wealthy visitors, according to Lahaina native Richy Palalay.

Hotels and condos “that we can’t afford to live in — that’s what we’re afraid of,” he said Saturday at a shelter for evacuees.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said Thursday that an outside organization will conduct “an impartial, independent” review into the government’s response to the fires.

“We intend to look at this critical incident to facilitate any necessary corrective action and to advance future emergency preparedness,” Lopez said in a statement. She said the investigation will likely take months.

As the death toll rose to 111 on Wednesday, the head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency defended not sounding sirens as flames raged. Hawaii has what it touts as the largest system of outdoor alert sirens in the world.

“We were afraid that people would have gone mauka,” said agency administrator Herman Andaya, using a navigational term that can mean toward the mountains or inland in Hawaiian. “If that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire.”

The system was created after a 1946 tsunami that killed more than 150 on the Big Island, and its website says they may be used to alert for fires.

Avery Dagupion, whose family’s home was destroyed, said he’s angry that residents weren’t given earlier warning to get out.

He pointed to an announcement by Maui Mayor Richard Bissen on Aug. 8 saying the fire had been contained. That lulled people into a sense of safety and left him distrusting officials, he said.

At the news conference, Green and Bissen bristled when asked about such criticism.

“I can’t answer why people don’t trust people,” Bissen said. “The people who were trying to put out these fires lived in those homes — 25 of our firefighters lost their homes. You think they were doing a halfway job?”

The cause of the wildfires, the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, is under investigation. But Hawaii is increasingly at risk from disasters, with wildfire rising fastest, according to an Associated Press analysis of FEMA records.

The local power utility faced criticism for leaving power on as strong winds from a passing hurricane buffeted a parched area last week, and one video shows a cable dangling in a charred patch of grass, surrounded by flames, in the early moments of the wildfire.

“Facts about this event will continue to evolve,” Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura wrote in an email to utility customers Thursday. “And while we may not have answers for some time, we are committed, working with many others, to find out what happened as we continue to urgently focus on Maui’s restoration and rebuilding efforts.”

Meanwhile, signs of recovery emerged as public schools across Maui reopened, welcoming displaced students from Lahaina, and traffic resumed on a major road.

The search for the missing moved beyond Lahaina to other oceanside communities that were destroyed. Searchers had covered about 45% of the burned territory by Thursday, the governor said.

Corrine Hussey Nobriga, whose home was spared, watched crews sifting through ash and debris looking for human remains. While some of her neighbors raised questions about the absence of sirens and inadequate evacuation routes, Nobriga said it was hard to lay blame for a tragedy that took everyone by surprise.

“One minute we saw the fire over there,” she said, pointing toward far away hills, “and the next minute it’s consuming all these houses.”

The ongoing search was marred by intermittent cellphone service and misleading information on social media. There were also challenges finding people who may be in hospitals, hunkered down at friends’ houses or in unofficial shelters that have popped up. Many people made fliers and were going door to door in search of loved ones.

Judy Riley, who has been working with families seeking relatives, said false leads and a sense that “no one is in charge of the missing” have contributed to a sense of despair.

“If you are looking for the missing, it’s easy for people to slip through the cracks,” she said.

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the name Nobriga in one instance.

Kelleher reported from Honolulu and Weber from Los Angeles. Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Michael Casey in Concord, New Hampshire; Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island; Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C.; and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri.

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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August 17, 2023
Spam, a staple in Hawaii, is sending 265,000 cans of food to Maui after the wildfires:

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Spam, a beloved staple in Hawaii, is giving back to the state after the devastating wildfires in Maui. As part of the relief effort, Spam’s parent company, Hormel Foods, sent more than 265,000 cans of their canned meat products to the island, the company said in a news release Thursday.

Hormnewsel partnered with Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit which helps bring aid to areas affected by natural disasters, to send three truckloads of Spam products so far, with another two following, the company said. Spam’s cash and product donations to Hawaii are valued at more than $1 million.

To help raise money for relief, they are also selling T-shirts that read “SPAM® Brand Loves Maui.” The company says 100% of proceeds will be given to Aloha United Way, an organization that raises money for various charities, and their Maui Fire Relief Fund.

Hormel Foods is also helping to raise money for local food banks.

The fires ravaged Maui last week, destroying the historic town of Lahaina. More than 100 people have been killed and the search for victims is ongoing.

“The people of Hawaii have a special place in both the history and heart of the SPAM® brand,” said Jennesa Kinscher, senior brand manager for Spam. “Our donation efforts are just one way we are showing the community our love and support back.”

The company posted about their efforts on Facebook. “To our ‘ohana [family] on Maui, we see you and love you. We’ve been working with our trusted partners on how we can help,” they wrote.

We’ve been at a loss for words seeing the devastation that is happening on Maui. To our ‘ohana on Maui, we see you and…

Posted by SPAM on Thursday, August 10, 2023

In the past, Hormel Foods has partnered with organizations like Convoy of Hope and World Central Kitchen to help those who are food insecure after natural disasters. But the brand has a strong connection to Hawaii.

The company says the popularity of Spam in Hawaii began in World War II, when the islands were still a territory, because the canned meat was served to U.S. soldiers stationed there during the war. Hawaiians adopted Spam as one of their staple foods, and it is commonly used in a fried rice dish.

The company says it ships 7 million cans of Spam to the state each year, and its products are “practically the national food” of Hawaii. Spam is served everywhere from convenience stores to fancy restaurants – even McDonald’s locations in the state feature meals that incorporate Spam.

It is unclear exactly what caused the devastating fires and an investigation is underway. Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm, caused dangerous high wind conditions and much of Hawaii was under a red flag due to fire risk caused by dry conditions. The high winds from the storm and low humidity “set the conditions for the wildfires,” said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, commander general of the Hawaii Army National Guard.

In Lahaina, more than 2,700 structures have been destroyed, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said. People tried to flee the blaze but many were trapped, some even tried to save themselves by jumping into the water.

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Caitlin O’Kane

Caitlin O’Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.

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August 17, 2023
Lahaina residents reckon with destruction, loss as arduous search for victims continues

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The death toll in the Maui wildfires reached 110 Wednesday — and was expected to rise considerably — as many desperate residents searched for missing family members in the wreckage of the fire that decimated an estimated 80% of the historic town of Lahaina.

FEMA spokesperson Adam Weintraub told reporters Wednesday that the number of people unaccounted for is estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,300. People across the Hawaiian island have been asked to provide DNA samples in an effort to identify human remains.

Only two of the victims have so far been publicly identified, 79-year-old Buddy Jantoc and 74-year-old Robert Dyckman.

Dozens of FEMA search and rescue teams with 40 cadaver dogs continue to methodically comb for human remains, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a news briefing Wednesday afternoon. At least 38% of the Lahaina fire burn area had been searched.

A firefighting helicopter flies near a building that was destroyed by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Getty Images

Lahaina Bypass Road, the main thoroughfare in and out of Lahaina, was reopened Tuesday night for the first time since the wildfires broke out last week, making it easier for residents and emergency responders to access the city.

However, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier asked residents to exercise caution amid the ongoing search for human remains, warning of health concerns over ash, debris and toxic air.

“There is a difference between need and want,” Pelletier said. “If you need to get over there, go. If you want to get over there, don’t go.”

Michael Richter has been on a dayslong search to find his stepfather.

“I have run into a lot of people that I understand are tired,” Richter told CBS News. “I’m tired too. I haven’t slept in six days. I just want to identify his body and put him at rest.”

Joe Schilling was going to his friend Corie Bluh’s home when the fires began raging around him.

“He was texting me that now there are four houses burning, and then cars exploding on the road,” Bluh told CBS News. “I said, ‘Try and get out.’ He said, ‘We can’t get out. We can’t see, we can’t breathe.’”

Blue believes Schilling may have died in the fire trying to help others evacuate, but his remains have not been found.

The Tone and Takafua family found four family members — including a 7-year-old girl — inside a burned-out car.

Some who have been reported missing have been found. Weintraub said Wednesday that about 60 people sheltering on a single property during the fire who survived had initially been listed as unaccounted for.

The Lahaina fire has destroyed or damaged at least 2,200 structures, about 86% of which were residential, according to numbers released over the weekend from the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Center.

The exact cause of the wildfires is still unknown. The Hawaii attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into the local government response leading up to and after they broke out on Aug. 8. CBS News has learned that Herman Andaya, chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, had no background in disaster response. Local news site Maui Now reported in 2017 that he was hired over 40 other qualified applicants.

Survivors said most residents were not evacuated, and many waited days for help to arrive. None of the island’s warning sirens sounded for evacuation.

When asked Wednesday by reporters if he regrets not activating the sirens, Andaya responded, “I do not.”

“The public is trained to seek higher ground in the event that the sirens are sounded,” Andaya said, noting that the sirens are generally used to warn of tsunamis or approaching storms.

“Had we sounded the sirens that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka (mountainside), and if that was the case, they would have gone into the fire,” Andaya said. “So that is the reason why, it is our protocol, to use WEA [Wireless Emergency Alerts] and EAS [the Emergency Alert System].”

Andaya explained that the agency’s “internal protocol” for wildfires is to use both WEA — text alerts sent to cell phones — and the EAS, which are alerts sent to television and radio.

“In a wildland fire incident, the (siren) system has not been used, either in Maui or in other jurisdictions around the state,” Andaya said.

Hawaii’s official government website lists “wildfires” as one of the hazards the siren alert system can be used for.

However, with power knocked out in the area and no television or radio, residents reported receiving no text alerts or television or radio notifications.

Andaya also said that claims “that I’m not qualified, I think, is incorrect.”

Andaya said that prior to taking the reins of the emergency agency, he served as deputy director of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns and spent 11 years as the mayor’s chief of staff.

During that time, Andaya said, he often reported to “emergency operations” officials and went through “numerous trainings.”

FEMA now has about 600 personnel on the island to aid in search and recovery efforts, said Marcus Coleman, director of the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, on Wednesday.

FEMA has approved more than $2.3 million in assistance to more than 1,300 households, Coleman said.

Approximately 2,000 homes and businesses in Lahaina remain without power, Green said Wednesday.

About 1,000 hotel rooms have now been made available for displaced residents, the governor added. The state had also set up an Airbnb program with 1,000 available rooms or houses that will be covered by FEMA for use by both evacuees and first responders.

“We’re making plans right now for the long-haul, for the long reconstruction…so we don’t have to take away housing from our local people while we rebuild,” Green said.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen noted that school started Wednesday on much of the island, and with their schools destroyed by the fire, many Lahaina students were sent to other campuses.

“Many of these students are survivors of the fires, and some of them lost families, some of them lost homes, many of them lost friends,” Bissen said.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Maui on Monday, Green said.

Two of three large wildfires that ignited Aug. 8 on Maui are still burning. The Lahaina fire, which has burned about 3.39 square miles, is 85% contained.

Aircraft were conducting water drops on the blaze, Maui County Fire Chief Bradford Ventura said Wednesday. Ventura noted that the upcoming forecast, which includes possible high winds and rain, could pose challenges for crews.

“We just want people to remain vigilant as we know weather is coming in, winds are up,” Ventura said.

The Upcountry/Kula fire to the east, which has burned just over one square mile and destroyed 19 homes, is 75% contained.

Ventura said that although the perimeter of the Kula Fire “has not expanded,” there are still “lots of trouble spots, there are lots of hot spots.”

— Lilia Luciano and Jonathan Vigliotti contributed to this report.

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August 16, 2023
Families search for loved ones in Maui wildfires

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Families search for loved ones in Maui wildfires – CBS News

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The wildfires in Hawaii have destroyed much of the historic town of Lahaina. CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano reports on families searching for their loved ones.

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August 16, 2023
Maui wildfires areas include $1.3 billion in residential reconstruction values, according to a preliminary estimate | CNN Business

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New York
CNN
—

The early estimate of the areas encompassed by the devastating Maui wildfires includes about $1.3 billion of residencies, according to a recent preliminary estimate from CoreLogic.

That figure tallies the “combined reconstruction value,” or how much it would cost to rebuild the structures in those preliminary areas. That doesn’t mean every building within those preliminary boundaries will need reconstruction, nor does it include the contents of those residences.

In preliminary perimeters drawn by CoreLogic, the company found 2,808 Lahaina homes that have a reconstruction cost value of $1.1 billion. Pulehu has 275 homes with about $147 million in costs, and Pukalani has a reconstruction cost value of $4.2 million for its five homes.

Wildfires have raged across the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing at least 80 people. Officials expect the death toll to rise and say it could take years to fully recover. The catastrophic firestorm also destroyed countless businesses on the island, which the estimate from CoreLogic didn’t include.

According to a damage assessment from the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and FEMA on Saturday, Maui County experienced $5.52 billion in “capital exposure,” which is the estimated cost to rebuild following damage by the Lahaina Fire. Maui County has a population of about 165,000.

FEMA issued a statement later Saturday saying the figure is not accurate and that it is still too early to determine the cost of rebuilding.

“The $5.5 (billion) figure being reported by some media outlets, and cited to the Pacific Disaster Center, is not a dollar amount from FEMA and does not reflect any damage estimations from our agency,” a FEMA spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement said the figure was listed as “capital exposed,” which FEMA said is not a measure of building costs. The federal agency said it has not yet done any cost estimates.

“We are still in active response and initial recovery phases, and it is too early to do so. Once all life saving and life sustaining needs are met, we will begin to assess the damage and formulate preliminary estimates,” the statement read.

CNN has reached out to the Pacific Disaster Center for clarification.

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire, according to the PDC and FEMA.

The structure of the Lahaina properties, combined with the hurricane-force winds and deadly gusts, allowed the firestorm to decimate many of the area’s buildings.

“Many of the residential properties in Lahaina appear to have wood siding, and a number of them have elevated porches with a lattice underneath,” Thomas Jeffery, CoreLogic principal wildfire scientist, said in the findings. “Both are characteristics that make the residence very vulnerable to either ember or direct flame ignition.”

However, the full extent of the damage is still unknown. It will take “some time” to figure that out, CoreLogic emphasized. CoreLogic created preliminary wildfire perimeters for its study that could change, it said.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated CoreLogic’s estimate. It is for reconstruction costs of the total homes within the wildfire areas.

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August 16, 2023
As Hawaiians Cope With Disaster, These Tourists Remain On Their Bulls**t

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The Maui wildfires have been some of the deadliest in U.S. history: As of Wednesday, at least 106 people have been confirmed dead, per CNN. That hasn’t stopped some tourists on the island from acting like nothing has happened at all — and their behavior exposes a horrible pattern among some American and European tourists who completely disregard communities of color in the places they visit.

Lahaina, the region in Maui where much of the devastation has occurred, is a sacred cultural place for Native Hawaiians; in the early 19th century, it was the royal residence of King Kamehameha, who unified all the Hawaiian islands. According to some reports, tourists were swimming at nearby beaches just days after the fires tore through Lahaina.

“That says a lot about where their hearts and minds are throughout all of this,” a resident told the BBC. “You don’t see our people swimming, snorkeling, surfing. Nobody is having fun in tragedy.”

An aerial view of Lahaina, Maui, on Aug. 11, days after a wind-fueled wildfire devastated the area.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Image

An aerial view of burned areas in Maui, Hawaii, on Aug. 9 in this screenshot taken from a social media video.

What’s happening in Maui now reflects the historical disregard that many tourists have for “vacation destinations” where people of color live. Places like Maui are just playgrounds to them, as opposed to places where real people live, work and love.

Hawaiians have actually been asking tourists not to come to their islands for a while, citing concerns about overcrowding, environmental degradation and even water supply issues. Despite locals’ pleas, tourism in Hawaii actually increased this year.

While Hawaiians go through one of the most traumatic events in their recent history, some visitors to the island seem to remain untouched, unaware and unbothered. One local councilwoman told of tourists showing up to neighborhoods in affected areas looking to check in for their reservations.

An FBI agent watches on Aug. 14 as two additional refrigerated storage containers arrive adjacent to the Maui Police Forensic Facility in Wailuku, Hawaii, where human remains are stored in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

If you’re a person of color, this behavior is probably not surprising to you at all, since certain Americans seem to live in an impenetrable bubble where they don’t even seem to register the suffering of people who don’t look or live like them. Puerto Ricans have, at some points, also asked mainland Americans not to visit their island, citing rude behavior and infrastructure concerns. Could they use the extra tourism money? Yes. But apparently, some tourists clearly don’t know how to conduct themselves in someone else’s house.

Whether it’s Thai beaches being trashed or tourists swimming in Maui days after deadly wildfires, it’s time to come to terms with the truth of how some Americans treat people of color in other parts of the world. If it wasn’t clear before, I think it should be abundantly clear now: Hawaii was never our playground.

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August 16, 2023
President Biden to travel to wildfire-ravaged Maui on Monday

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President Biden to travel to wildfire-ravaged Maui on Monday – CBS News

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President Biden will visit Hawaii with the first lady Monday and meet with volunteers, emergency workers and survivors of last week’s wildfires on Maui. CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes has the latest details.

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August 16, 2023
Maui residents say government failed them with wildfire response

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Maui residents say government failed them with wildfire response – CBS News

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There are mounting questions in Hawaii about how the Maui wildfires started and what caused them to spread so quickly. State officials are investigating and residents say they’re angry over the government’s response. CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

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August 15, 2023
Painstaking search for Maui wildfire victims continues with hundreds still missing

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The ongoing search for victims of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century continued in earnest Tuesday on the Hawaiian island of Maui. At least 101 people have been confirmed dead in the blaze that destroyed most of the historic port town of Lahaina — one of several fires that broke out in Maui on Aug. 8 — but hundreds more remain missing.

Speaking Tuesday at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, President Biden said all federal resources were being made available to Hawaii.

“Every asset they need will be there for them,” Mr. Biden said. “And we’ll be there in Maui as long as it takes.”

Lahaina, Maui, on Aug. 14, 2023. Ash and debris are all that remain at this home located near Wahinoho Way.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Mr. Biden said that his administration is “surging federal personnel” to Maui to “help the brave firefighters and first responders, many of whom lost their own homes, their properties, while they’re out busting their neck to save other people.”

The president said he and first lady Jill Biden plan to travel to Hawaii “as soon as we can.”

More than 400 FEMA have already deployed to island, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in an address Tuesday afternoon, along with another 273 National Guard soldiers.

At least 27% of the burn area has been canvassed by search and rescue personnel with 20 cadaver dogs, Green said.

About 500 hotel rooms have been made available, Green said, with 331 displaced residents already staying in those rooms. The governor added that the state had also set up an Airbnb program with 1,000 available rooms or houses that will be covered by FEMA for use by both evacuees and first responders.

The goal, Green said, is for displaced residents ‘to be able to leave these shelters and go into stable housing, which is going to take a very long time.”

The Department of Health and Human Services has also deployed about 75 personnel, along with a victim identification team, according to Jonathan Greene, deputy assistant secretary director for the HHS Office of Response.

Approximately 3,400 residents have already registered with FEMA for economic assistance, Keith Turi, FEMA deputy associate administrator for response and recovery, told reporters.

Supplies for Lahaina fire victims are gathered and delivered by Hawaiians sailing on a large catamaran who often sail around the world together to Lahaina neighborhoods. Maalaea, Maui. Aug. 14, 2023.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

What do we know about the victims of the Lahaina fire?

Just four of the victims so far have been positively identified, according to Maui County police. Their names will be released after their families are notified. Another 13 DNA profiles have been obtained from victims, police said, and 41 DNA profiles have been obtained from family members of the missing.

Along with the 101 bodies already recovered, Green estimated Monday that about 1,300 people remain unaccounted for.

According to 2020 census data, the Lahaina community had a population of about 12,700. Maui’s overall population was at about 165,000.

This marks the deadliest U.S. fire since 1918, when the Cloquet and Moose Lake fires in Minnesota and Wisconsin claimed the lives of 453 people, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

How many structures have been destroyed?

At least 2,200 buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Lahaina fire, according to preliminary numbers released over the weekend by the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Center. About 86% of those are residential.

The Hawaiian Electric Company, the utility provider for 95% of Hawaii, reported that about 2,000 homes and businesses were still without power. Maui officials stressed that number does not include the more than 2,000 structures estimated to have been destroyed.

The Hawaii State Department of Health was asking those who have been allowed to return to Lahaina to exercise caution due to toxic ash and chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic, lead and debris. Many residents have expressed frustration at not being able to access their homes.

“The fact that they’re making it difficult for us to go back to where we’re from,” said Annastaceya Arcangel-Pang, who lost her home in the fire. “It’s just hard and unbelievable. I mean, I still have loved ones that are trapped.”

Lahaina, Maui on Aug. 14, 2023. The Keawe business center lies in ruins days after a fierce wildfire destroyed much of Lahaina’s business district.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

CBS News has learned that several victims have been found in the rubble by their own families. The Tone and Takafua family found four of their family members — including a 7-year-old girl — inside a burned-out car.

How much of Maui has burned?

The three wildfires which broke out Aug. 8 have so far burned an estimated 4.45 square miles, according to Maui officials. Two of the three fires are still burning, with dozens of firefighters working by ground and air to build containment lines and monitor for any hot spots and flare-ups.

The Lahaina fire, by far the largest of the three at 3.39 square miles, was 85% contained Tuesday.

The Upcountry/Kula fire, which has burned just over a square mile, was 65% contained. It has destroyed 19 homes, including the home of Sweethart Mori in Kula.

Mori told CBS News Tuesday she and her family safely escaped.

“We fortunately got out alive before the fire came,” Mori said.

The Pulehu/Kihei fire was fully contained over the weekend.

Maui natives fear being priced out

Mori also discussed a common fear, which has predated the fire, of longtime Maui natives being priced out of the island by developers and wealthy out-of-state buyers. She said her family plans to stay and rebuild.

“This is my land,” Mori said. We from here. This is my country. So I cannot go anywhere. You know, I think about moving to the USA because it’s so expensive over here. But where I going? I don’t belong there.”

Smaller blazes still burning in Kula

02:29

Green told reporters Monday that he would try to restrict land purchases on Maui by out-of-state buyers while the island recovers from the fires.

“I will try to allow no one from outside our state to buy any land until we get through this crisis and decide what Lahaina should be in the future,” Green said.

On Tuesday, the governor announced that he had asked Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez to “watch for predatory practices.” He said that the state would also be “embedding” pro bono attorneys to provide legal advice to local residents who are approached by potential buyers.

“What is also of fundamental importance to us is protecting the land,” Green said. Protecting the land for our local people…So that it’s not stolen by people on the mainland.”

Green said that in a conversation about the issue with superstar Dwayne Johnson, a Hawaii native, Johnson also shared with Green “his desire to see this land stay in the hands of the people.”

How did the Maui wildfires start?

The cause of the wildfires remains under investigation. Local government agencies have been under intense scrutiny for their actions as the Lahaina fire was spreading.

According to a timeline provided by Maui County, a three-acre brush fire was first reported near Lahaina Intermediate School just after 6:30 a.m. local time on the morning of Aug. 8. About two hours later, a little before 9 a.m., the fire was declared 100% contained.

With powerful wind gusts from Hurricane Dora hitting the island, four West Maui schools were then closed due to hazardous conditions, according to the Hawaii Department of Education.

Then, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the fire — which had been previously reported as fully contained — flared up and suddenly exploded with help from Dora’s 60 mph winds. None of the emergency sirens on the island were activated as the fire spread, and with power cut off, Lahaina residents said they received no text alerts.

Many were caught completely off guard and with barely enough time to escape the flames.

“It was a kind of fear and panic that I have never experienced before in my life,” Lahaina resident Kawena Kahula told CBS News.

Kahula said that with no evacuation alert, she followed a line of cars towards what she thought would be safety, but instead, “willingly, unknowingly, blindly headed into the fire.”

Maui residents say government failed them as investigation into response is launched

02:38

“I didn’t know until there was big black mushroom clouds of smoke, continuing to stock up on each other bigger and bigger,” Kahula said.

Problems cascaded after the blaze erupted. Fire crews had no water pressure due to water-damaged pipes which had leaked and ran dry, a utility official told CBS News.

Lopez said Friday that her agency would conduct a “comprehensive review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during, and after the wildfires.”

Green said Monday that the investigation aims “not to find fault in anyone but to say why this worked and this didn’t work.”

— Norah O’Donnell, Jonathan Vigliotti, Lilia Luciano, Emily Mae Czachor and Jordan Freiman contributed to this report.

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August 15, 2023
Hawaiian Electric Is Facing Multiple Lawsuits In The Aftermath Of Maui Wildfires

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The primary electric services company for Hawaii is facing at least three lawsuits as of Tuesday, Axios reported.

Hawaiian Electric, which provides electricity for 95% of the island chain’s population, did not shut off power as strong winds from the passing Hurricane Dora overtook Maui. Fires, which have killed more than 100 people, began on Aug. 8, but the exact cause is unknown.

As the search for the cause of the fire continues, Hawaiian Electric has been hit with multiple lawsuits alleging that the company bears responsibility for the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century.

In one lawsuit filed on Aug. 12 by three Oahu-based firms against Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric and the county, a Maui resident seeks a trial by jury and class-action status.

Another lawsuit filed the same day, which is also seeking a trial by jury and a class-action status, alleges that Maui Electric and Hawaiian Electric “left their power lines energized” and that “these power lines foreseeably ignited the fastmoving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which destroyed homes, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites.”

“The fire killed scores of people and ruined hundreds — if not thousands — of lives,” added the lawsuit, filed by two law firms in Honolulu and and one in California.

One other lawsuit against the same companies is not seeking class-action status but still seeks to represent multiple clients affected by the fires. It was filed by the law firm Singleton Schreiber.

“The island of Maui is sacred land to the people who live there, their families, and their ancestors,” said managing partner Gerald Singleton in a news release. “Our goal is higher than filing a lawsuit; we want to make sure these people have their homes, their land, and their ancestry protected. For our attorneys, justice is helping each survivor rebuild their lives after this terrible tragedy. This is not a class action. We represent each client individually, as each of our clients’ damages are unique.”

Lawsuits against utility companies following fires are not unheard of. Pacific Gas and Electric in Northern California, which has been blamed for starting more than 30 fires since 2017, has been at the forefront of several such suits.

After a wildfire that began in Paradise, California, killing 84 people in 2018, PG&E ended up paying $13.5 billion to victims of the fire in a 2019 settlement. The following year, it pleaded guilty to 84 counts in an involuntary manslaughter case related to the Paradise fire.

Earlier this year, a judge ruled that PG&E would face a trial by jury for 11 felony and misdemeanor charges related to the Zogg Fire in California, which left four people dead.

Southern California Edison has faced multiple lawsuits over California wildfires and in July agreed to pay $22 million, along with two other companies, for a massive 2016 fire that began when a tree fell on power and communication lines, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Since the Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric Industries’ stock has dropped 30%, CNN reported Tuesday. S&P Global downgraded the company’s credit rating to BB-.

“The wildfires destroyed a significant segment of HEI’s customer base that will take many years to restore, and as such, we expect a long-term weakening in the company’s profitability measures,” S&P told CNN.

Hawaiian Electric Vice President Jim Kelly told CNN that the company’s “immediate focus is on supporting emergency response efforts on Maui and restoring power for our customers and communities as quickly as possible.”

“At this early stage, the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review,” he said.

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August 15, 2023
Maui animal shelter housing pets whose owners lost their homes to deadly fires

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Maui animal shelter working overtime after fires

Maui animal shelter working to reunite pets with owners

01:00

The death and destruction on Maui also extend to our four-legged companions, many of which were still missing a week after flames tore through the historic town of Lahaina. One shelter is working overtime to house the pets of residents who lost their homes or are living in shelters until they can be reunited.

Rodnyl Toscana escaped the fire. His home is destroyed, but he and his pets are okay. Toscano is staying in a shelter, and his three dogs and rabbits are being taken care of at the Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation in Wailuku.

“They’ll take care of them really really well here so we can get them back,” Toscana said.

The facility is getting ready for a hundred pets, including dogs, cats and even tortoises.

Dawn Pfendler, CEO of Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, said taking care of pets gives residents fewer things to worry about.

“Humans need the pets as much as the pets need the humans,” she said. “So we’re really not sure what to expect. So we’re trying to prepare for a marathon, not a sprint.”

The foundation will care for the pets until their owners’ housing situation is more stable.

An estimated 3,000 animals were missing on the island, Maui Humane Society CEO Lisa M. Labrecque said Monday. The group, which is working to reunite pets with their owners, has recovered more than 50 animals from the Lahaina area, including 12 that were hospitalized as of Monday. Eight animals had been reunited with their families.

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Norah O’Donnell

Norah O’Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News.” She also contributes to “60 Minutes.”

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August 15, 2023
Watch Live: President Biden comments on Maui wildfires as more than 1,000 people remain missing
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President Biden on Tuesday is speaking in Milwaukee, where he is expected to address the deadly wildfires on Maui that have left at least 99 dead and the historic town of Lahaina destroyed.

The White House is also having “active conversations” about when a Biden visit to Hawaii might be possible, deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said.

Mr. Biden has been on vacation in Rehoboth, Delaware, and has not made extensive comments on the wildfires. Last week, he approved a federal disaster declaration, clearing the way for federal funding to be provided to people on the island affected by the fires.

“Our prayers are with the people of Hawaii, but not just our prayers — every asset we have will be available to them,” Mr. Biden said during an event in Salt Lake City marking the first anniversary of a veterans benefits law. “They’ve seen their homes, their businesses destroyed, and some have lost loved ones, and it’s not over yet.”

In Milwaukee, he will tour Ingeteam, Inc., a clean energy company, and talk about his economic plan. He will return to the White House later in the day.

The death toll in Maui is expected to continue to rise as more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Monday that search crews could recover “10 to 20 people” a day going forward, and Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said that 25% of the area had been searched as of Monday night.

While much of the focus has been on Lahaina, fires continue to burn in the Upcountry region of Maui. In the Upcountry town of Kula, located just 25 miles east of the Lahaina disaster, firefighters on Tuesday were battling smaller blazes, which have ravaged approximately 700 acres and claimed 19 homes.

How to watch Biden’s comments on Maui wildfires

What: President Biden comments on Maui wildfires

Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Time: 2 p.m. ET

Location: Ingeteam, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.

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August 15, 2023
Tourists lost their summer vacations. Maui’s locals lost everything | CNN Business

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CNN
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The agony wrought by the deadliest US wildfire in a century is only beginning in Lahaina, Hawaii, where the inferno virtually wiped the town off the map.

Fear, anger and despair are setting in for some locals, who are now imploring that repair efforts should focus on not just clearing the way for tourists, but meeting the needs of the people who call Lahaina home.

Rick Avila, 65, a longtime Lahaina resident who lost his house to the blaze said one of the biggest immediate concerns for the community is finding long-term affordable housing for those who lost their homes. He and his wife have found temporary shelter at a friend’s vacation rental condo, but many others now “feel like they have to leave the community,” he told CNN.

“A lot of them are going to Kihei and Wailuku and Kahului – and then a lot of them are leaving the island completely,” Avila said of his friends and neighbors in the days since the blaze, and referring to three cities on the other side of Maui.

Still, Avila emphasized that Lahaina is a strong and tight-knit community, and the people will find a way to rebuild from the ground up.

Lahaina resident Mike Cicchino, who was among the fire survivors forced to jump into the ocean as the flames encroached the town, told CNN, “We just went through a nightmare, and we’re about to go through another nightmare trying to, basically, not stay homeless.”

Cicchino is among those joining the growing chorus of people asking tourists not to come visit, “because we don’t have any places for locals to stay.”

“We’re in desperate need out here,” Cicchino added. “A lot of people have nowhere to go.”

As Avila put it, “At this point, there’s no reason for tourists to come here.” Restaurants and shops are either burned or shuttered as staffers deal with the crisis, he noted, and while many of the resorts and hotels are left standing, their employees are scattered and shell-shocked.

He urged potential visitors to “respect the ‘aina [Hawaiian land] and the people who live here.”

“As soon as everything’s up and running, then we will welcome back visitors, because the hotel people are going to need to work,” Avila added. “But let us get a little bit of a handle on it first.”

Lahaina is like no other place in the world, bordered by the turquoise Pacific Ocean on one end and green mountains on the other. Once the royal capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, it went on to become an agricultural hub and cultural melting pot that served as a conduit for the American dream for so many families – including my own.

My mother was born and raised in Lahaina. Her family immigrated to Maui from Okinawa, Japan, as part of the influx of laborers that were brought in to work on the island’s sugar cane plantations. She was in Lahaina visiting family when the fire broke out and is among the lucky ones who survived. Her family home burned to the ground, and much of the neighborhood she grew up in is now in ashes.

It will be difficult for her community to rebuild: After Lahaina’s historic sugar cane mill shuttered in 1999, the hospitality industry quickly took over as the main economic engine of the community. The explosion of tourism over the years, however, has strained natural resources and astronomically driven up the cost of living – dividing the haves and have-nots in ways that felt untenable even before the fire’s devastation.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s office said last month that the state has the most expensive housing in country. Homeownership has become nearly impossible for many locals, as available housing supply often gets converted into short-term rental units, hotel developments or second homes for millionaire visitors. Half of all housing units in Lahaina are not owner-occupied, according to Census data. The median listed home price in Lahaina as of July was some $1.5 million.

Most locals in Maui work in jobs that serve tourists. Roughly one in five workers in Maui County are in the accommodation and food service sector, where the average salary is $52,322, according data released by the state.

Meanwhile, prices in Hawaii are more than 13% higher than the national average, marking the highest regional price parity in the country, per the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ measure.

As a result of all these factors and more, over half of Maui’s residents are struggling to make ends meet and are categorized as “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed” (or ALICE) or below, per a 2022 study released by the local nonprofit Aloha United Way in partnership with the Bank of Hawaii. The ALICE designation means that households earn above the federal poverty level and thus often do not qualify for public assistance, but still cannot afford basic cost of living in their county.

Relying so heavily on the tourism industry also creates fragility for Maui’s economy. In April 2020, at the onset of the Covid crises in the US and height of pandemic restrictions, the unemployment rate on Maui skyrocketed to 33.4% – more than twice the national average at the time of 14.7%

Green on Monday said his office is asking for moratorium on home sales as Maui looks to rebuild. And Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs urged Maui homeowners affected by the fires to use caution and to report unsolicited offers to buy their properties to the agency.

Looking beyond just the short-term needs, there is already growing concern that developers will now try to swoop in and buy up the land where people’s homes were destroyed, possibly rebuilding Lahaina into a Las Vegas-strip style tourism base.

The fear of land grabs from outsiders trying to cash-in on the tragedy and push more local people out of Maui are very real. Community groups have begun sharing resources, calling for people to report incidents of speculators circling their property in search of a deal. Thousands of people have also signed multiple petitions calling for a temporary moratorium on foreclosures amid the tragedy.

Despite the decades of change as visitors reshaped much of Hawaii, Lahaina treasured its history and residents worked hard to preserve the cultural heritage that made it so unique. Unlike the skyscrapers and luxury retail outposts on the Waikiki strip in neighboring Oahu island, Lahaina’s downtown – now largely razed – remained largely low-rise and dotted with small businesses built around a beloved, 150-year-old Banyan tree.

“Many have characterized Lahaina, in the coverage of these fires, as a tourist mecca or tourist destination, and it’s certainly attracted the interest and love of many, many people,” Ilihia Gionson of the Hawaii Tourism Authority told CNN. But Lahaina also has a “deep history,” Gionson, who is Native Hawaiian, added, pointing to its place as the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

“It’s also important to keep first and foremost in mind what the families of the area are going through, because it’s really in the families and in the hearts of the kama’aina, the residents of those places, that those kinds of stories, those kinds of histories live,” Gionson said.

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August 15, 2023
Maui residents deliver aid to hardest hit areas

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Maui residents deliver aid to hardest hit areas – CBS News

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Getting supplies to Maui poses a problem, as everything needs to either be flown in or delivered by boat. But locals are pitching in as best they can to help the hardest hit among their community. CBS Los Angeles’ Rudabeh Shabazi has more.

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August 14, 2023
Hurricane, tropical storm approach Hawaii after wildfires

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Hurricane, tropical storm approach Hawaii after wildfires – CBS News

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Hawaii residents are concerned about storms that could be headed their way as Maui residents are still learning the scope of the damage from last week’s wildfires. The Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes looks at those storms and another system threatening the Northeast.

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August 14, 2023
Hawaii attorney general opens investigation into state wildfire response

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Hawaii attorney general opens investigation into state wildfire response – CBS News

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Many Maui residents are saying they received no warning from emergency officials prior to last week’s deadly fires. Now Hawaii’s attorney general is investigating the state’s response. CBS’s Jessica Kartalija has more.

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August 14, 2023
Lahaina Residents Worry A Rebuilt Maui Town Could Slip Into The Hands Of Affluent Outsiders

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LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Richy Palalay so closely identifies with his Maui hometown that he had a tattoo artist permanently ink “Lahaina Grown” on his forearms when he was 16.

But a chronic housing shortage and an influx of second-home buyers and wealthy transplants have been displacing residents like Palalay who give Lahaina its spirit and identity.

A fast-moving wildfire that incinerated much of the compact coastal settlement last week has multiplied concerns that any homes rebuilt there will be targeted at affluent outsiders seeking a tropical haven. That would turbo-charge what is already one of Hawaii’s gravest and biggest challenges: the exodus and displacement of Native Hawaiian and local-born residents who can no longer afford to live in their homeland.

“I’m more concerned of big land developers coming in and seeing this charred land as an opportunity to rebuild,” Palalay said Saturday at a shelter for evacuees.

Hotels and condos “that we can’t afford, that we can’t afford to live in — that’s what we’re afraid of,” he said.

Richy Palalay, 25, was born and raised in Lahaina.

Palalay, 25, was born and raised in Lahaina. He started working at an oceanfront seafood restaurant in town when he was 16 and worked his way up to be kitchen supervisor. He was training to be a sous chef.

Then came Tuesday’s wildfire, which lay waste to its wooden homes and historic streets in just a few hours, killing at least 93 people to become the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in a century.

Maui County estimates more than 80% of the more than 2,700 structures in the town were damaged or destroyed and 4,500 residents are newly in need of shelter.

The blaze torched Palalay’s restaurant, his neighborhood, his friends’ homes and possibly even the four-bedroom house where he pays $1,000 monthly to rent one room. He and his housemates haven’t had an opportunity to return to examine it themselves, though they’ve seen images showing their neighborhood in ruins.

He said the town, which was once the capital of the former Hawaiian kingdom in the 1800s, made him the man he is today.

“Lahaina is my home. Lahaina is my pride. My life. My joy,” he said in a text message, adding that the town has taught him “lessons of love, struggle, discrimination, passion, division and unity you could not fathom.”

The median price of a Maui home is $1.2 million, putting a single-family home out of reach for the typical wage earner. It’s not possible for many to even buy a condo, with the median condo price at $850,000.

Sterling Higa, the executive director of Housing Hawaii’s Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for more housing in Hawaii, said the town is host to many houses that have been in the hands of local families for generations. But it’s also been subject to gentrification.

“So a lot of more recent arrivals — typically from the American mainland who have more money and can buy homes at a higher price — were to some extent displacing local families in Lahaina,” Higa said. It’s a phenomenon he has seen all along Maui’s west coast where a modest starter home two decades ago now sells for $1 million.

Residents with insurance or government aid may get funds to rebuild, but those payouts could take years and recipients may find it won’t be enough to pay rent or buy an alternate property in the interim.

Many on Kauai spent years fighting for insurance payments after Hurricane Iniki slammed into the island in 1992 and said the same could happen in Lahaina, Higa said.

“As they deal with this — the frustration of fighting insurance companies or fighting (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) — many of them may well leave because there are no other options,” Higa said.

“I don’t have any money to help rebuild. I’ll put on a construction hat and help get this ship going. I’m not going to leave this place,” he said. “Where am I going to go?”

Gov. Josh Green, during a visit to Lahaina with FEMA, told journalists that he won’t let Lahaina get too expensive for locals after rebuilding. He said he is thinking about ways for the state to acquire land to use for workforce housing or open space as a memorial for those lost.

“We want Lahaina to be a part of Hawaii forever,” Green said. “We don’t want it to be another example of people being priced out of paradise.”

McAvoy reported from Wailuku, Hawaii.

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August 13, 2023
Crews work to identify many of the 93 victims found so far in Maui wildfires, now the deadliest US fire in over a century | CNN
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CNN
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The death toll from the Maui wildfires climbed to at least 93 Saturday as authorities work to identify the victims and sift through the burned communities of western Maui.

The fire is now the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years, according to research from the National Fire Protection Association.

“This is the largest natural disaster we’ve ever experienced,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said at a Saturday night news conference. “It’s going to also be a natural disaster that’s going to take an incredible amount of time to recover from.”

Whipped by winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, fast-moving wildfires wiped out entire neighborhoods, burned historic landmarks to the ground and displaced thousands. As searches of the burned ruins continue, officials warn they do not know exactly how many people are still missing in the torched areas.

Only about 3% of the fire zone has been searched with cadaver dogs, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, and authorities expect the already staggering death toll to rise.

“None of us really know the size of it yet,” Pelletier said at Saturday night’s news conference.

Only two of the people whose remains have been found have been identified, according to an update from Maui County.

“We need to find your loved ones,” Pelletier said, urging those with missing family members to coordinate with authorities to do a DNA test.

“The remains we’re finding is through a fire that melted metal.”

Meanwhile, firefighters who continue to battle the flames – practically nonstop in some instances – have made some progress in containing the blazes. Of the three largest wildfires that crews have been combating, the deadly fire in hard-hit Lahaina has not grown, but is still not fully under control, Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura said.

The Pulehu fire – located farther east in Kihei – was declared 100% contained Saturday, according to Maui County. A third inferno in the hills of Maui’s central Upcountry was 50% contained on Friday, officials said.

As firefighting efforts continue, the state is surveying the immense destruction in once vibrant, beloved communities.

Around 2,200 structures have been destroyed or damaged by the fires in West Maui, about 86% of them residential, Green said Saturday.

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier on Saturday said it was premature to assign even an approximate dollar amount to the damage done on Maui, the governor estimated that “the losses approach $6 billion.”

“The devastation is so complete, that you see metals twisted in ways that you can’t imagine,” Green said. “And you see nothing from organic structures left whatsoever.”

“We’ve gone through tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but this event was much more catastrophic than any of those here,” Green said.

Here’s the latest as of Saturday evening:
Police are restricting access into West Maui: The one highway into the hard-hit Lahaina area remains highly restricted. Residents slept in a mile-long line of cars overnight Saturday, hoping to enter.
Thousands displaced: The fires have displaced thousands of people, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN on Thursday. A total of 1,418 people are at emergency evacuation shelters, according to Maui County officials.
Hotel rooms for evacuees: Around 1,000 hotel rooms were secured for evacuees and first responders, Green said, but it’s a challenge to get people into hotel rooms that have enough electricity. Long term housing solutions were also being sought.
Cellphone services coming back: While the fires initially knocked down communications and made it hard for residents to call 911 or update loved ones, county officials said Friday that cellphone services are becoming available. People are still advised to limit calls.
Maui’s warning sirens were not activated: State records show Maui’s warning sirens were not activated, and the emergency communications with residents was largely limited to mobile phones and broadcasters at a time when most power and cell service was already cut.
Disaster response under review: Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will lead a comprehensive review of officials’ response to the catastrophic wildfires, her office said Friday. “My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement.
More than a dozen federal agencies have been deployed to Hawaii to assist in the recovery efforts, including the National Guard, FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Local sites and attractions meant for summer revelers are now being turned into relief beacons.

Pacific Whale Foundation, which typically operates eco-tours across Maui, is instead using its ship to transport supplies like batteries, flashlights, water, food and diapers to people in need.

And at the Lahaina Gateway and the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, food and water distribution sites have been set up, according to Green.

Thousands of pounds of food have been donated and are on the way, the governor said Saturday.

“We come at this like an ohana because it’s going to be, in the short term, heartbreaking. In the long term, people are going to need mental health care services. In the very long term, we’ll rebuild together,” Green said.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation will set aside a runway at Kahului Airport – the primary airport on the island of Maui – to accommodate incoming relief supplies, officials announced Saturday.

For those who’ve lost their homes, at least 1,000 rooms have been secured for them as well as support staff, the governor said.

“Then coming after that, in the days that follow, we’ll have long term rentals. Those are the short term rentals turned long term now,” Green said.

Meanwhile, tourism authorities are focused on helping visitors get out of Maui, alleviating the pressure on residents and traffic, so that “attention and resources” can be focused on the island’s recovery, Hawaii Tourism Authority spokesperson Ilihia Gionson said Saturday.

Gionson, who is a native Hawaiian, said residents will draw strength from the deep history of Lahaina — a former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom — and “the very powerful spirits of Maui.”

“It’s really in the families and in the hearts of the Kama’aina, the residents of those places, that those kinds of stories, those kinds of histories live,” he told CNN. “So our hearts, our prayers, all of our Aloha is with those families who have lost loved ones, who have lost their homes, who have lost businesses, livelihoods, lifestyles — it’s just devastating.”

In pictures: The deadly Maui wildfires

Maui police have been restricting residents on-and-off from taking the Honoapi’ilani Highway – the main roadway into devastated Lahaina.

Some residents slept in a mile-long line of cars overnight Saturday, hoping to enter by morning. But police told drivers that traffic is jammed on the main road and that conditions are too dangerous.

Steven and Giulietta Daiker said they were nearly up to the main checkpoint after hours of waiting when they learned they were only going to be turned around. “They couldn’t have told us that three miles back, or couldn’t have been on a bullhorn or on the radio?” Steven asked.

“It’s not just frustration. It feels sickening,” Giulietta added.

Officials say they have to limit access as conditions remain hazardous where homes were leveled by the fires.

“We’re not doing anybody any favors by letting them back in there quickly, just so they can go get sick,” Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said at Saturday’s news conference.
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August 13, 2023
Maui wildfires kill at least 80 people, and the race to find survivors is grim as countless residents in torched areas remain missing | CNN

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CNN
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At least 80 people have been killed in Maui’s wildfires, officials said late Friday, as search efforts for survivors are ongoing and many remain missing.

The death toll rose from an announced 67 earlier Friday, making the fires the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. The death toll continued to climb Friday, surpassing the state’s record natural disaster death toll of 61 from a 1960 tsunami that hit Hilo Bay.

On Friday evening, residents in Kaanapali were being evacuated after police said there was a fire in western Maui.

“At this time, there are no restrictions to exit the west side. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the community and first responders. We will allow entrance once it is safe to do so,” police said in a Facebook post.

Gov. Josh Green told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Friday that none of the human remains discovered in nearby Lahaina were found inside structures yet, but the confirmed fatalities “did occur out in the open as people tried to escape the fire.”

Green said that within days officials expect to have a more comprehensive idea of how many lives were lost.

“We will continue to see loss of life,” Green said during a news conference late Thursday. “We also have many hundreds of homes destroyed, and that’s going to take a great deal of time to recover from.”

Now, families wait in agony to learn what happened to their missing loved ones.

Live updates: Deadly wildfires burn across Maui

Timm Williams Sr., a 66-year-old disabled veteran who uses a wheelchair, last spoke with his family Wednesday as he was trying to flee Kaanapali, just north of the obliterated town of Lahaina.

Shortly before he went missing, Williams sent a photo of flames shooting toward the sky, his granddaughter Brittany Talley told CNN.

While he fled, Williams said he couldn’t tell exactly where he was due to the intense smoke in the air, Talley recalled. “He was attempting to make it to a shelter, but all of the roads were blocked,” she said.

The family has tried every means possible to find the missing grandfather, but to no avail.

“It has been difficult,” Talley said. “Every minute that goes by is another minute that he could be hurt or in danger.”

Satellite images taken on June 25 and August 9 show an overview of southern Lahaina, Hawaii, before and after the recent wildfires.

Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies

While rescue crews scramble to find survivors, here’s the latest on the ongoing catastrophe:

• Cadaver dogs are looking for victims: Search-and-rescue teams with cadaver dogs from California and Washington are in Maui to help with recovery efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.

• Thousands are displaced: About 1,400 people slept at an airport Wednesday night and more than 1,300 stayed in emergency shelters before many of them were taken to the airport to leave the island, Maui County officials said. Thousands of people are believed to have been displaced, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN on Thursday.

• Billions of dollars in losses: Determining the full scope of the fires’ impacts on the island will take time, “but it will be in the billions of dollars without a doubt,” the governor said Thursday.

It will take many years to rebuild Lahaina, where “upwards of 1,700 buildings” may have been destroyed, Green told CNN. He said it appears about 80% of the town is “gone.”

• Housing appeal: With many having nowhere to stay, the governor asked residents to open up their homes and hotels to help those in need. “If you have additional space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from west Maui, please do,” Green said.

“Please consider bringing those people into your lives.”

• Fires have burned for days: As of Thursday, the four largest fires still were active in Maui County, Fire Chief Bradford Ventura said. “Additionally, we’ve had many small fires in between these large fires,” the chief said.

“And with the current weather pattern that we’re facing, we still have the potential for rapid fire behavior.” The wildfire that torched Lahaina was 80% contained by Thursday morning, Maui County officials said.

• Communication and power outages: Officials have resorted to satellite phones to communicate with providers on the west side of Maui to restore power to the area, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said.

About 11,000 homes and businesses were in the dark early Friday, according to the tracking site PowerOutage.us.

• Resources sent to Maui: President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration to provide federal funding for recovery costs in Maui County. California plans to send a search and rescue team to help support efforts on the ground in Maui. And more than 130 members from the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard have been assigned to provide assistance.

No one knows how many people were still missing Friday after wildfires annihilated the historic town of Lahaina, where 13,000 people lived.

“Here’s the challenge: There’s no power. There’s no internet. There’s no radio coverage,” Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said Thursday.

Lahaina – an economic hub that draws millions of tourists each year and the one-time capital of the kingdom of Hawaii – is “all gone,” said Maui County Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr.

Residents of west Maui will be allowed to access Lahaina starting Friday at noon local time, according to a news release from the county. Residents will need identification with proof of residency. Visitors will need proof of hotel reservations. Barricades have been set up to prevent access to the “heavily impacted area of historic Lahaina town” where search crews are continuing to look for victims of the fires.

A curfew will also be in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time “in historic Lahaina town and affected areas,” the news release says.

“Now I want to caution everyone, Lahaina is a devastated zone,” Green warned Friday in an interview with local station KHON. Returning residents “will see destruction like they’ve not ever seen in their lives. Everyone, please brace themselves as they go back.”

Green said a hotline will likely be established to connect displaced residents with available rooms in homes and hotels.

Search dogs have not yet been able to access every burned building, Green said, cautioning residents not to enter any charred structure that appears unsafe.

The governor said he plans to return to Maui on Saturday.

In a Friday news release, the Department of Water Supply also asked Maui residents to conserve water, as first responders continue to fight the flames and intermittent power outages take place. The department asked residents island-wide to refrain from washing cars, washing sidewalks and driveways, and irrigating lawns.

In pictures: The deadly Maui wildfires

Most of Maui looked like its idyllic self on Tuesday morning before the flames spread out of control.

At 9:55 a.m., Maui County posted a seemingly optimistic update on the Lahaina fire:

“Maui Fire Department declared the Lahaina brush fire 100% contained shortly before 9 a.m. today,” the county said on Facebook Tuesday.

About an hour later, the county updated residents on another wildfire burning:

“Kula Fire Update No. 2 at 10:50 a.m.: Firefighter crews remain on scene of a brush fire that was reported at 12:22 a.m. today near Olinda Road in Kula and led to evacuations of residents in the Kula 200 and Hanamu Road areas,” the county said.

By Tuesday afternoon, another wildfire became an increasing threat:

“With the potential risk of escalating conditions from an Upcountry brush fire, the Fire Department is strongly advising residents of Piʻiholo and Olinda roads to proactively evacuate,” Maui County posted at 3:20 p.m. Less than an hour later, it said, “The Fire Department is calling for the immediate evacuation of residents of the subdivision including Kulalani Drive and Kulalani Circle due to an Upcountry brush fire.”

Shortly later, the county said the Lahaina fire had resurged.

“An apparent flareup of the Lahaina fire forced the closure of Lahaina Bypass around 3:30 p.m.,” Maui County posted at 4:45 p.m.

And by 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, there were “Multiple evacuations in place for Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires,” the county said.

As the ferocious fires spread, some people jumped into the ocean to escape the flames. Rescuers plucked dozens of people from the water or the shore.

Green said he has authorized a “comprehensive review” of the response to the fast-moving fires. Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will spearhead that review, her office announced Friday.

“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement. “As we continue to support all aspects of the ongoing relief effort, now is the time to begin this process of understanding.”

State records show that Maui’s warning sirens were not activated, and the emergency communications with residents was largely limited to mobile phones and broadcasters at a time when most power and cell service was already cut.

“The telecommunications were destroyed very rapidly,” the governor said, blaming the rapid spread of the fires on “global warming, combined with drought, combined with a superstorm.”

Green added that restoring utilities will likely to be a lengthy process because of Lahaina’s remote location, as workers and raw materials cannot simply be driven to Hawaii. “This is not to make an excuse. This is just to explain the realities of the island, especially in the post-Covid era,” he said.

May Wedelin-Lee is one of countless residents who lost homes in Lahaina. She described the horror and desperation of those trying to escape and survive.

“The apocalypse was happening,” she told CNN on Thursday.

“People were crying on the side of the road and begging,” Wedelin-Lee said. “Some people had bicycles, people ran, people had skateboards, people had cats under their arm. They had a baby in tow, just sprinting down the street.”

The fire moved so quickly that many left their homes immediately with little notice from authorities, Maui County’s fire chief said.

“What we experienced was such a fast-moving fire through the neighborhood that the initial neighborhood that caught fire, they were basically self-evacuating with fairly little notice,” fire chief Brad Ventura said.

The Coast Guard rescued 17 people who fled into the Pacific Ocean to escape the flames, the commander of Section Honolulu said Friday.

Coast Guard resources – including three cutters and two small boat crews – patrolled about 500 square miles of the harbor searching for survivors for more than 15 hours, Captain Aja Kirksey said at a Friday news conference.

One person was found dead and the survivors rescued are all in stable condition, according to Kirksey.

The fires have damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures in Maui County, local officials estimate.

“All of those buildings virtually are going to have to be rebuilt,” Green said Thursday. “It will be a new Lahaina that Maui builds in its own image with its own values.”

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August 12, 2023