Hawaii fires live: Maui death toll tops 89 as governor warns more bodies likely to be found

The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii has reached 89 as more evacuations are underway in the western area of Kaanapali.

Officials say teams including cadaver-sniffing dogs have only covered 3 per cent of a search area and governor Josh Green has warned the death toll is likely to rise as those search operations continue to find more bodies.

The latest in a string of fires that have ravaged parts of the island triggered the evacuation of the community in Kaanapali on Friday night, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.

Officials believe the wildfires, which are now the country’s worst in terms of casualties in more than 100 years, could end up being the deadliest disaster in the state’s history. Earlier on Friday the authorities said 14,900 visitors left Maui by air the day before.

Many fire survivors said they did not hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realising they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Key points

• Death toll soars to 89, passing landmark 2018 blaze in California

• Hawaii governor says 1,000 people still missing

• Death toll may rise as building interiors have yet to be searched

• What is the cause of the wildfires?

• Satellite images show before and after photos of historic Lahaina

• Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m to Maui fire relief effort

Maui fires become deadliest in modern US history as ‘grim’ search for victims continues

21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Hawaii Governor Josh Green gave a stark warning to the world in the aftermath of the “fire hurricane” that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui.

The state’s drought conditions from climate change and difficulties with water management had combined with 60mph winds from Hurricane Dora which had just passed the island, Mr Green explained in an interview on MSNBC on Sunday.

This allowed three of four fires to seed quickly in the wind and then move at a mile-per-minute through the community obliterating everything in its path.

“That’s what a fire hurricane is going to look [like] in the era of global warming,” he warned, emphasising the need for action on climate change.

Read more...

Hawaii fires deadliest in over 100 years as ‘grim’ search for victims continues

Could a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders? Residents are already worried

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Read on...

Lahaina residents worry a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders

Nighttime looting plague Maui fire survivors

04:37 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The people of Maui are now grappling with nighttime looting as residents are growing anxious with the local leadership’s response.

“There’s some police presence. There’s some small military presence, but at night people are being robbed at gunpoint,” Matt Robb, co-owner of a Lahaina bar called The Dirty Monkey, said.

“I mean, they’re going through houses – and then by day it’s hunky dory. So where is the support? I don’t think our government and our leaders, at this point, know how to handle this or what to do.”

“It’s just been really interesting to see how, when you have a full truck of a pallet of water or feminine products or whatever, and you’re trying to help people – that you’re being turned away,” Mr Robb said. “And I think there’s a better way to organise that to be done, I just don’t think it’s been done the correct way. I think it comes down to the lack of leadership and the lack of knowledge of how to handle this.” he was quoted as saying by Business Insider.

The struggle to reunite survivors continues

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The firestorm that killed dozens of people and leveled this historic town launched hundreds of people on a desperate search for their loved ones — many from thousands of miles away — and some are still searching. But amid the tragedy, glimmers of joy and relief broke through for the lucky ones as their mothers, brothers and fathers made it to safety and finally got in touch again.

Read more...

Searching for the missing on Maui, some wait in agony to make contact. And then the phone rings.

King and Queen tell Biden they are ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The King has written a letter to US President Joe Biden saying he and the Queen were “utterly horrified” to hear about the “catastrophic” wildfires in Hawaii.

Charles and Camilla sent their “deepest possible sympathy” to the families of people who have died in the blazes on the island of Maui.

Read more...

King and Queen ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires, letter to Joe Biden says

Families and faith leaders cling to hope but tackle reality of loss in aftermath of Maui fires

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

For scores of families in Hawaii still hoping to reunite with loved ones, it was not yet time to give up — even as the staggering death toll continued to grow, and even as authorities predicted that more remains would be found within the ashes left behind by a wildfire that gutted the once-bustling town of Lahaina.

But many others are already confronting a painful reality. Their loved ones did not make it out alive.

Read more...

As Maui rescue continues, families and faith leaders cling to hope but tackle reality of loss

More bodies likely to be found in ‘worst natural disaster Hawaii ever faced’

00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

With the death toll from the Maui wildfires reaching 93 early on Sunday, governor Josh Green has labeled it the “worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced”.

The scale of the damage came into sharper focus on Saturday, four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town of Lahaina, obliterating buildings and melting cars.

Expressing shock over the scale of devastation, Mr Green said: “We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them healthcare, and then turn to rebuilding.”

The authorities suspect that the total number of fatalities, in what is already the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, is likely to rise further in the coming days.

Namita Singh reports.

Maui wildfires ‘the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced’

23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Scale of wildfire scarring on charred Maui land captured in aerial footage

As the fires cut the phone networks, the ‘coconut wireless’ failed too

22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Earlier this week, rapidly moving wildfires knocked out phone service on Maui, preventing the usual local “coconut wireless” network of neighbours informing each other of the latest news from warning residents on the island they were in danger, according to Hawai’i Governor Josh Green.

“Normally, we would phone cal one another, and through what’s often called the ‘coconut wireless,’ where everyone speaks to everyone else in their community, we would know right away that there was danger,” he told CNN on Friday. “That communication was cut off by the destruction of essentially 1000 degree heat that was coming down the mountain.”

Josh Marcus reports.

Maui fires knocked out phones, stopping alerts from local ‘coconut wireless’ network

Watch: Cadaver dogs sift through the ruins of Lahaina as the death toll continues to rise

22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Lahaina residents inspect remains of homes after devastating Maui wildfire

21:38 , Oliver O'Connell

20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Hawaii newlyweds detail ‘heartbreaking’ escape from Maui wildfires

As deadly wildfires swept Maui, communication failed and chaos overtook Lahaina with the flames

20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience.

Power and cellular outages for residents further stymied communication efforts. Radio reports were scarce, some survivors reported, even as the blaze began to consume the town. Roadblocks then forced fleeing drivers onto one narrow downtown street, creating a bottleneck that was quickly surrounded by flames on all sides. At least 67 people have been confirmed dead so far.

The silent sirens have raised questions about whether everything was done to alert the public in a state that possesses an elaborate emergency warning system for a variety of dangers including wars, volcanoes, hurricanes and wildfires.

Read more...

In deadly Maui wildfires, communication failed. Chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to holidaymakers

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Jason Momoa has issued a stern message to holidaymakers hoping to still travel to Maui amid the fatal wildfires.

Two days after sharing his “heartbreak” about the wildfires that have devastated the Hawaiian island, Momoa shared a post stating: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.”

He continued: “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.

“Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”

Read more...

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to people still travelling to Maui on holiday

Voices: Maui is my home – after the wildfires, I no longer recognise the place I love

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rich Hill writes:

It’s raining on the North Shore of Maui this morning where I live. But the rain is too late, and in the wrong place, to help the Maui Fire Department save the historic town of Lahaina.

I’m an English expat, naturalised both to the US and to the islands of Hawaii after 17 years. Maui is my home. As a resident of Maui, married into a family born and raised on the island, the loss of Lahaina’s Old Town is devastating.

First and foremost is the loss of life. Maui is a small island; everyone knows everyone, or at least knows someone who knows everyone.

We are yet to find out who has been lost, but that will filter through in the next few days on the “coconut wireless” (the Hawaii version of the grapevine). These losses will be felt locally for at least a generation, and we are praying that no one we know personally is involved.

Read more...

Maui is my home – the wildfires have destroyed the place I love | Rich Hill

King and Queen ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The King has written a letter to US President Joe Biden saying he and the Queen were “utterly horrified” to hear about the “catastrophic” wildfires in Hawaii.

Charles and Camilla sent their “deepest possible sympathy” to the families of people who have died in the blazes on the island of Maui.

King and Queen ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires, letter to Joe Biden says

Authorities say effort to count the losses is just starting

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Authorities warned on Saturday that the effort to find and identify the dead was still in its early stages. It’s already the deadliest US wildfire for over a century.

Crews with cadaver dogs have completed just 3% of the search area, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.

As death toll from Maui fire reaches 89, authorities say effort to count the losses is just starting

Stevie Nicks shares moving tribute to Hawaii town turned to ashes by wildfires

17:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks has posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram to Lahaina, the Maui town worst affected by the ongoing wildfires.

Nicks wrote that she owns a house on Maui a short distance from the town, and called Lahaina “the most magical place on earth”.

She captioned the tribute: “Lahaina is not gone ~ It is just away.”

Watch: Hawaii senator thanks Biden for emergency declaration

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Lahaina residents worry town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders when rebuilt

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

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.

Read on...

Lahaina residents worry a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders

Where did the Maui fires happen?

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Maui wildfires map: Where are the Hawaii fires?

Watch: Hawaii governor praises Biden response

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Lahaina residents inspect remains of homes after devastating Maui wildfire

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Survivors witnessed a surreal landscape of flattened homes, blackened hulks of burned-out cars and ashy lots where buildings once stood as they took stock of their shattered lives in the aftermath of a fast-paced wildfire on the Hawaii island of Maui that authorities say killed at least 80 people.

Residents were faced with catastrophic destruction resulting from the wildfires that tore through parts of Maui and the town of Lahaina this week.

“We lost everything, thank god we still have each other. We were all alive and safe and counted for. It’s like we are the only things we have now because everything we had in the past is gone,” one resident, Christie Gagala, said.

Oliver Browning reports:

Lahaina residents inspect remains of homes after devastating Maui wildfire

White House ‘looking at’ Biden visit to disaster site

15:17 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden briefly responded to a shouted question from a reporter on Sunday morning concerning whether he would be visiting the site of the wildfire disaster in Maui.

As he cycled past the White House pool, Mr Biden did not stop, but replied: “We’re looking at it.”

While it is expected of presidents to visit the sites of calamities, both manmade and natural, the logistics involved are difficult given the strain on those localities impacted in the days after a disaster.

The White House tends to hold off on presidential trips in the initial aftermath to avoid getting in the way of recovery efforts. There is also the added logistical issue that Maui is a ten-hour flight from Washington, DC.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m to relief fund

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez are pledging $100m towards relief efforts in Maui after a series of devastating wildfires.

Josh Marcus reports.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m to Maui fire relief effort

14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Hawaii fires: Terrified residents make desperate escape in apocalyptic scenes

How did the Hawaii wildfires start?

13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ariana Baio compiled everything we know about how the Hawaii wildfires started.

How did the Hawaii wildfires start?

With phones cut ‘coconut wireless’ neighbour network couldn’t warn of dangers

13:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Earlier this week, rapidly moving wildfires knocked out phone service on Maui, preventing the usual local “coconut wireless” network of neighbours from informing each other of the latest news from warning residents on the island they were in danger, according to Hawai’i Governor Josh Green.

“Normally, we would phone call one another, and through what’s often called the ‘coconut wireless,’ where everyone speaks to everyone else in their community, we would know right away that there was danger,” he told CNN on Friday. “That communication was cut off by the destruction of essentially 1000-degree heat that was coming down the mountain.”

Josh Marcus reports from San Francisco.

Maui fires knocked out phones, stopping alerts from local ‘coconut wireless’ network

Voices: Maui is my home – after the wildfires, I no longer recognise the place I love

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rich Hill writes:

I’m an English expat, naturalised both to the US and to the islands of Hawaii after 17 years. Maui is my home. As a resident of Maui, married into a family born and raised on the island, the loss of Lahaina’s Old Town is devastating.

Read on...

Maui is my home – the wildfires have destroyed the place I love | Rich Hill

Some wait in agony to make contact while searching for the missing. And then the phone rings.

11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Leshia Wright heard the crackle of the fast-moving inferno closing in on her home in Lahaina and decided it was time to evacuate.

The 66-year-old grabbed her medication for a pulmonary disease and her passport and fled the subdivision in the historic Hawaii oceanside community just minutes before flames engulfed the neighborhood. Hours later, she called family members and told them she slept in her car.

Then her phone went dead...

Searching for the missing on Maui, some wait in agony to make contact. And then the phone rings.

Maui wildfires ‘the worst natural disaster Hawaii ever faced’

10:47 , Tara Cobham

With the death toll from the Maui wildfires reaching 93 early on Sunday, governor Josh Green has labeled it the “worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced”.

The scale of the damage came into sharper focus on Saturday, four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town of Lahaina, obliterating buildings and melting cars.

Expressing shock over the scale of devastation, Mr Green said: “We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them healthcare, and then turn to rebuilding.”

Namita Singh reports:

Maui wildfires ‘the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced’

As communication failed, chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience.

Power and cellular outages for residents further stymied communication efforts. Radio reports were scarce, some survivors reported, even as the blaze began to consume the town. Road blocks then forced fleeing drivers onto one narrow downtown street, creating a bottleneck that was quickly surrounded by flames on all sides.

Read more...

In deadly Maui wildfires, communication failed. Chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames

Where in Maui are the wildfires?

10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Maui wildfires map: Where are the Hawaii fires?

Death toll from Hawaii wildfires reaches 93

09:45 , Tara Cobham

The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Hawaii has reached 93.

Maui County announced the updated fatality figures for its island on Sunday morning.

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to holidaymakers travelling to Maui

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Jason Momoa has issued a stern message to holidaymakers hoping to still travel to Maui amid the fatal wildfires.

Two days after sharing his “heartbreak” about the wildfires that have devastated the Hawaiian island, Momoa shared a post stating: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.”

Jacob Stolworthy reports.

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to people still travelling to Maui on holiday

Stevie Nicks shares moving tribute to Hawaii town turned to ashes by wildfires

08:15 , Adam Withnall

Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks has posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram to Lahaina, the Maui town worst-affected by the ongoing wildfires.

Nicks wrote that she owns a house on Maui a short distance from the town, and called Lahaina “the most magical place on earth”.

She captioned the tribute: “Lahaina is not gone ~ It is just away.”

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Hawaii newlyweds detail ‘heartbreaking’ escape from Maui wildfires

07:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Scale of wildfire scarring on charred Maui land captured in aerial footage

Counting deaths and cost of wildfires ‘still in early stages’

05:38 , Adam Withnall

Efforts to assess the full impact of the wildfires to Hawaii are still in their early stages, officials there warned on Saturday, even as the death toll rose to 89.

The fire that razed the historic Maui town of Lahaina is already the deadliest in the US for more than a century.

Crews with cadaver dogs have covered just 3 per cent of the search area, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.“We’ve got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles and it is full of our loved ones. And we’ve got 89 so far. Today we identified two,” noting that the death toll is likely to grow and “none of us really know the size of it yet.”He spoke as federal emergency workers picked through an ashen moonscape left by the fire. Teams marked the ruins of homes in Lahaina with a bright orange X for an initial search and HR when they found human remains.

Pelletier said that identifying the dead is extremely challenging because “we pick up the remains and they fall apart... When we find our family and our friends, the remains that we’re finding is through a fire that melted metal”.Dogs worked the rubble, and their occasional bark — used to alert their handlers to a possible corpse — echoed over the hot and colorless landscape.“It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced,” Governor Josh Green remarked Saturday as he toured the devastation on historic Front Street.

“We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding.”

Maui wildfires death toll rises as rebuild cost put at $6bn

05:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Read the latest updates from Maui.

Maui wildfires death toll rises to 80 as rebuild cost put at $6bn

Death toll hits 89, making it the deadliest wildfire for a century in US

03:43 , Adam Withnall

The death toll from the Hawaii wildfires now stands at 89, governor Josh Green has said.

It makes it the deadliest wildfire in the US for more than 100 years, surpassing the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead.

A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Maui’s Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry. A fourth broke out Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

King and Queen ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The King has written a letter to US President Joe Biden saying he and the Queen were “utterly horrified” to hear about the “catastrophic” wildfires in Hawaii.

Read more...

King and Queen ‘utterly horrified’ by Hawaii wildfires, letter to Joe Biden says

The desperate search for 1,000 missing in Hawaii wildfires

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Bevan Hurley reports that with cell phone and power still down on Maui, people are taking extraordinary measures to find loved ones missing after the Hawaii wildfires.

Desperate families wait for news of loved ones among the 1,000 missing in Maui fires

Survivor tells of ‘dead bodies in the water floating, and on the seawall'

01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A Maui wildlife survivor has told how there are still “dead bodies in the water floating” following the devastating blazes that have killed at least 55 people.

Hawaiian residents are bracing for the death toll to climb higher with around 1,000 people still missing in the apocalyptic wildfires.

Kekoa Lansford told the BBC that his hometown of Lahaina, which was at the centre of the wildfires and saw 1,000 structures burn down, would take “years to fix” after the disaster.

“This is not even the worst of it,” he told the broadcaster from the ruins of Lahaina. “(We) still get dead bodies in the water floating, and on the seawall.”

Graeme Massie reports.

Maui wildfire survivor tells of ‘dead bodies floating in the water’

Family of missing veteran clings to hope he escaped the blaze

Sunday 13 August 2023 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The family of a Korean War veteran is desperately searching for him after they lost contact with him amid the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.

Authorities in fire-scorched Maui County have confirmed at least 55 fatalities, as the largest blaze, still raging in Lahaina, is now 80 per cent contained. More than 1,000 people are still unaccounted for in what is believed to be the deadliest disaster in the state’s history, Governor Josh Green said during a press conference on Thursday night, warning that the death toll is expected to climb.

State and federal agencies are scrambling to assist endangered residents and hundreds of families across the country have been unable to locate their loved ones due to cell phone service being down.

Kim Berly told The Independent that she is worried her 79-year-old father Maurice Buen, who lives on Wainee St in Lahaina, was caught in the fire. Ms Berly said she last spoke with Mr Buen on Sunday and is now clinging to hope that he made it out of the blaze.

Andrea Blanco reports.

Family of veteran missing in deadly Maui wildfires clings to hope he escaped blaze

In pictures: Extent of devastation on Maui

Saturday 12 August 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Aerial photos and videos of the devastating wildfires raging in Hawaii this week have revealed the destruction that has followed in their wake.

Aerial photos show extent of destruction caused by Hawaii wildfires

Latest damage and needs assessment following the Maui Fires

Saturday 12 August 2023 22:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Questions arise about why electricity was not cut to reduce fire risks

Saturday 12 August 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Four days before wildfires swept through parts of Maui, weather forecasters were predicting the powerful winds that could cause the dangerous fire conditions that led to the destruction of Lahainna and other areas.

The Washington Post reports that Hawaiian Electric, which oversees Maui Electric, responded by taking some preemptive measures but did not deploy the most aggressive and effective tool at its disposal — shutting off the electric supply.

A “public power shutoff plan” exists for exactly this purpose and it has been deployed in a number of instances to prevent sparks and shorts causing deadly blazes.

Per the Post:

Hawaiian Electric was aware that a power shut-off was an effective strategy, documents show, but had not adopted it as part of its fire mitigation plans, according to the company and two former power and energy officials interviewed by The Washington Post. Nor, in the face of predicted dangerous winds, did it act on its own, utility officials said, fearing uncertain consequences.

The cause of the Maui blaze remains unknown but a number of downed powerlines and poles (as many as 30) were recorded, falling on roads and into trees. Some were energised when they hit the ground, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen confirmed.

Hawaiian Electric is rejecting suggestions that it could have done more to protect public safety, the Post says.

Watch: What role did climate change have in the Maui wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Saturday 12 August 2023 21:20 , AP

Maui water officials warned Kula and Lahaina residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.

Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor whose team assisted with the Camp Fire and Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire, said showering in water potentially containing hazardous waste levels of benzene is not advisable and a do-not-use order would be appropriate until analysis is complete.

Lahaina resident Lana Vierra had fled Tuesday but was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items including baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.

“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace,” she said.

Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighboring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more given the speed of the onrushing flames.

“It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything,” Curran said. “The fire went from zero to 100.”

Curran said he had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California.

But, he added, “I’ve never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.”

Saturday 12 August 2023 21:00 , AP

The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark & Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.

The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan stated.

Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.

Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.

Saturday 12 August 2023 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and policies affecting the response to the deadly wildfires.

“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 written statement.

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the wildfires on Maui raced through parched brush covering the island.

The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Associated Press journalists found the devastation included nearly every building on Front Street, the heart of historic Lahaina and the economic hub of Maui.

There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn’t escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.

“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his damaged apartment complex.

Saturday 12 August 2023 20:20 , AP

The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.

Many fire survivors said they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions.

“There was no warning,” said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.

Hawaii emergency management records do not indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Saturday 12 August 2023 20:00 , AP

Anthony Garcia assessed the devastation as he stood under Lahaina’s iconic banyan tree, now charred, and swept twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames. Somehow it made sense in a world turned upside-down.

“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”

150 FEMA staff on ground to assist local efforts

Saturday 12 August 2023 19:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Saturday 12 August 2023 19:50 , AP

Maui County raised the number of confirmed deaths to 80 Friday night, and Gov. Josh Green warned that the toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday. Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.

An updated damage assessment released overnight by Maui County painted a stark picture of the Lahaina fire’s destructive power. More than 80% of the 2,719 structures exposed to the fire were damaged or destroyed — the vast majority of them residential. An estimated 4,500 people are in need of shelter, county officials said on Facebook early Saturday, citing figures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center.

“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.

With death toll likely to rise, survivors of the Maui wildfires start returning to ruins

Saturday 12 August 2023 19:32 , AP

Dogs trained to find bodies sniffed through piles of rubble and ash as stunned survivors of deadly wildfires that killed at least 80 people on the Hawaiian island of Maui took stock of their shattered lives and tried to imagine rebuilding from nothing.

The only items Summer and Gilles Gerling were able to retrieve from the detritus-filled lot where their home once stood in Lahaina were a piggy bank Summer’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.

“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.

The fires nearly wiped out the historic town of 13,000 people and were still not fully contained Friday night on some parts of the island.

A new wildfire Friday evening triggered the evacuation of Kaanapali, a coastal community a few miles north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

Death toll may rise as rescue crews search inside burned buildings

Saturday 12 August 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Richard Bissen, the mayor of Maui, told Today on Friday that the death toll in Hawaii is based only on the number of people found outside.

Officials are awaiting rescue, search and recovery teams from FEMA to search the inside of buildings as they have better equipment.

Ariana Baio reports.

Maui mayor says death toll may rise as rescue crews search inside buildings

As flames swallowed Maui, survivors made harrowing escapes

Saturday 12 August 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

An immigrant cook building a new life. A widow preparing to say goodbye. And a couple taking their vows.

All were caught in the crossfire, forced to flee as flames swallowed parts of Maui, that drop in the Pacific where roads wind past waterfalls, turtles glide through gem-blue waters and a volcano towers overhead.

These are the stories of the survivors:

As flames swallowed Maui, survivors made harrowing escapes

What caused the Hawaii wildfires?

Saturday 12 August 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

At least 80 people are dead and thousands more have been forced to evacuate the island of Maui after deadly wildfires raged throughout Hawaii.

The fires, which are believed to be some of the deadliest in the state’s history, erupted this past week on three of Hawaii’s islands forcing visitors to flee and residents to seek emergency shelter.

But how did they start?

How did the Hawaii wildfires start?

Watch: Lahaina coping with loss of some of its most important historical sites

Saturday 12 August 2023 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Death toll rises to 80 as rebuild cost put at $6bn

Saturday 12 August 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The number of confirmed deaths from this week’s wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui has risen to 80, according to the authorities, and the cost of rebuilding from the devastation has initially been estimated at close to $6bn.

Read more...

Maui wildfires death toll rises to 80 as rebuild cost put at $6bn

No alarm sounded as wildfires approached

Saturday 12 August 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Survivors of Maui’s deadly wildfires say they received no warning of the impending danger, despite the state boasting a state-of-the-art siren alert system.

Hawaii emergency management records show no record that the state’s 400 warning sirens were triggered before Tuesday’s wildfires, according to the Associated Press.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Maui residents may not have been warned as wildfires approached as no alarm sounded

Maui fire relief effort: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m

Saturday 12 August 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez are pledging $100m towards relief efforts in Maui after a series of devastating wildfires.

Josh Marcus reports.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m to Maui fire relief effort

Survivor story: Cindy and Bob Curler

Saturday 12 August 2023 16:40 , AP

It wasn’t exactly how Cindy and Bob Curler envisioned their wedding night.

Unable to get back to their Lahaina hotel Tuesday as wildfires swallowed the town, their driver was forced to take them to the garage where he parks his limousine. The newlyweds shared a couch for the night, her in her strapless lace gown, him in his crisp blue suit.

Just hours earlier, the Pittsburgh couple had strolled Lahaina’s streets, passing the 150-year-old banyan tree and popping in quaint shops.

There were hiccups as they prepared for their ceremony, but nothing that alarmed them. The power had been knocked out at Lahaina Shores Beach Resort, where they were staying, and they could see flames in the mountains. Winds were “hellacious,” 46-year-old Bob said, but flames did not appear close.

The two heard no warnings, so they pressed forward with their elopement plans, driving south to a beach just past Wailea, where they exchanged vows under perfect blue skies. There was still no word of disaster, so they celebrated with a dinner at a nearby resort.

“We didn’t know that the town was burning,” Bob said.

Their driver tried to get them back to Lahaina, but roads were choked with traffic. Inching along, seeing fire spreading by the highway, they changed course, heading for the garage at 2 a.m.

It wasn’t until morning that they saw photos of Lahaina’s destruction and realized they were blessed to have escaped. Their hotel appears to have been spared the worst, but they haven’t been able to return. They know it’s nothing compared to the losses others are suffering.

“Yes it was our wedding day and night but that’s only one night for us,” Cindy said. “These people are impacted for the rest of their lives”

Survivor story: Tracey Graham

Saturday 12 August 2023 16:20 , AP

Tracey Graham was due to spend her last week on Maui snorkeling with sea turtles, dining with friends, and reminiscing about the eight years she called the “beautiful, wonderful piece of paradise” home.

Instead, she fled the fires, is sleeping in a shelter and wondering what became of the places she loved.

“It’s scary,” says 61-year-old Graham. “It’s devastating — that’s the only word I keep coming back to.”

Graham, who was staying with a friend north of Lahaina, was about to take an afternoon nap Tuesday when she noticed the smell. She went outside, saw flames and smoke, and heard popping noises.

She fled with friends, grabbing her passport, her journal and a framed photo with a button that played a recording of her husband, Cole Wright, telling her how much he loved her.

He died of prostate cancer four months ago.

Authorities kept directing her and her friends to different points. Once she made it to the shelter set up at the Maui War Memorial, rumors of the devastation raged, with many unsure whether their homes and loved ones were safe. She hasn’t been able to reach one of her close friends.

“It’s disorienting,” she says. “You just don’t know what’s what.”

Graham is departing Saturday to start a new life in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Her plan was already made after her husband’s death, but the tragedy of the wildfires cemented the need to leave.

“It’s just been too sad,” she says.

Survivor story: Marlon Vasquez

Saturday 12 August 2023 15:57 , AP

By the time Marlon Vasquez heard the alarms, there was only time to run.

The 31-year-old cook shouted for his brother and opened the door of their Lahaina rental home to thick smoke and intense heat.

“The fire was almost on top of us,” he said.

The two sprinted. And, running on for what felt like an eternity, a hellscape unfurled. Day turned to night as smoke blotted out the sun, occasionally bared as a red orb. Roads clogged with cars. People dove into the Pacific. At one point, the flames chased him as strong winds blew them down a mountainside. The air was so black he vomited.

“We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day because the fire didn’t stop,” Vasquez said.

The brothers kept running down the coast until they came upon a motorist who drove them to a shelter where they joined about 200 others in a gymnasium.

The restaurant Vasquez worked at was destroyed. He only managed to grab his passport, wallet, a few bottles of water and a can of sardines.

He arrived in the U.S. from Guatemala at the start of 2022. Now, his car and everything he worked for has been torched.

He isn’t sure if the roommates he and his brother lived with made it out. He wonders about the people they passed who were unable to run as they did. He doesn’t know where they will go next. They will look for work in whatever state or country that has jobs for them.

There seemed to be only one certainty for Vasquez.

“We’ll keep struggling,” he said.

FEMA puts Lahaina rebuild cost at $5.52bn as 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed

Saturday 12 August 2023 15:29 , Oliver O'Connell

The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Saturday released damage assessment maps of the multiple wildfires in Maui County.

According to PDC, as of 11 August 2023, the Lahaina Fire resulted in an estimated total of 2,719 structures exposed; 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed; and 2,170 acres burned.

This far exceeds initial reports that 270 structures had been damaged or destroyed. Approximately 86 per cent of buildings exposed to the fire were classified as residential.

The total rebuild cost for the town is projected to be $5.52bn.

Elsewhere, in Kula, another 544 structures were exposed and 678 acres burned. The estimated rebuild cost there is $434m, according to the maps.

Scale of wildfire scarring on charred Maui land captured in aerial footage

Saturday 12 August 2023 15:00 , Tara Cobham

Drone video shows the devastating aftermath of wildfires that ravaged the island of Maui.

Large patches of land in the area of Olinda were charred black and brown, while burnt trees remained standing as smoke loomed overhead.

Maui County officials confirmed Friday afternoon (11 August) that the death toll from the Hawaii wildfires had increased to 67.

The blazes are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people.

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui this week, racing through parched brush covering the island.

Oliver Browning reports:

Scale of wildfire scarring on charred Maui land captured in aerial footage

‘I’m going to walk through fire to find her’: The desperate search for 1,000 missing in Hawaii wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 14:00 , Ariana Baio

Rachel Engel was on the phone with her best friend Avery Harden when gusts of up to 80 mph (128kms) whipped up by Hurricane Dora began blowing through Lahaina, on the western edge of Maui, on Monday.

“We thought it was just going to be high winds, that happens in Hawaii,” Ms Engel, from Detroit, told The Independent.

On Tuesday morning, Ms Harden phoned back to say that a fire had broken out behind her apartment building without warning.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Desperate families wait for news of loved ones among the 1,000 missing in Maui fires

Watch: Lahaina residents escape wildfires by jumping into ocean

Saturday 12 August 2023 13:00 , Ariana Baio

Governor of Hawaii and mayor of Maui visit remains of Lahaina

Saturday 12 August 2023 12:00 , Ariana Baio

Maui residents return to charred remains of historic town

Saturday 12 August 2023 11:30 , Tara Cobham

Residents of Lahaina were allowed back home on Friday 11 August for the first time since wildfires killed at least 67 people and turned large swaths of the centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble.

The devastation was clear to see, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island.

Incinerated cars were seen crushed by downed telephone poles, while charred elevator shafts still stand as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings they once served.

Pools could also be seen filled with charcoal-coloured water.

Oliver Browning reports:

Scenes of devastation as Maui residents return to charred remains of historic town

Satellite mobile hotspots reach Maui to try to rebuild communications and find the missing amid wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 11:00 , Ariana Baio

Portable mobile hotspots have arrived in Maui to restore Internet service and help victims of the devastating wildfire call for help.

At least 55 people were killed by the blaze and the death toll is expected to rise with around 1,000 people on the Hawaiian island still unaccounted for.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green told reporters on Thursday that with communication systems destroyed in the fires, many of those unaccounted for had been unable to confirm they were safe.

Graeme Massie reports:

Satellite mobile hotspots reach Maui to try to rebuild communications

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to holidaymakers travelling to Maui

Saturday 12 August 2023 10:30 , Tara Cobham

Jason Momoa has issued a stern message to holidaymakers hoping to still travel to Maui amid the fatal wildfires.

Two days after sharing his “heartbreak” about the wildfires that have devastated the Hawaiian island, Momoa shared a post stating: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.”

He continued: “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.

“Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”

Jacob Stolworthy reports:

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to people still travelling to Maui on holiday

Death toll rises to 80 in Maui wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 10:04 , Tara Cobham

The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday.

The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the previous figure of 67.

Gov. Josh Green had previously warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.

"The recovery's going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it's pretty dangerous," Green told Hawaii News Now.

Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.

Famous banyan tee in Lahaina is burned, but still standing

Saturday 12 August 2023 10:00 , Ariana Baio

Newlyweds married in Hawaii detail ‘heartbreaking’ escape from Maui wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 09:42 , Tara Cobham

A newlywed couple who were married in Hawaii have detailed their “heartbreaking” escape from Maui wildfires.

Cindy and Bob Curler hadn’t envisioned spending their wedding night sharing a sofa in a garage, but that’s what happened when they were unable to get back to their Lahaina hotel on Tuesday 8 August, as wildfires swallowed the town.

Their driver was forced to take them to the site where he parks his limousine, with Cindy still in her strapless lace gown, and Bob in his crisp blue suit.

“We’re more heartbroken to see what the town is like and what the locals are dealing with,” Cindy said after the experience.

“Yes, it was our wedding day and night, but that’s only one night for us where these people are impacted for the rest of their lives.”

Oliver Browning reports:

Hawaii newlyweds detail ‘heartbreaking’ escape from Maui wildfires

Man relives ‘screams of horror’ as he spent three hours in ocean trying to escape

Saturday 12 August 2023 09:00 , Ariana Baio

West Maui fire causes Friday night evacuation

Saturday 12 August 2023 08:30 , Tara Cobham

Police say a new fire burning on the Hawaii island of Maui has triggered the evacuation of a community to the northeast of the area that burned earlier this week.

The fire prompted the evacuation of people in Kaanapali in West Maui on Friday night, the Maui Police Department announced on social media. No details of the evacuation were immediately provided.

Authorities in Hawaii are working to evacuate people from Maui as firefighters work to contain wildfires and put out flare-ups.

The County of Maui said early Friday that 14,900 visitors left Maui by air Thursday.

Airlines added additional flights to accommodate visitors leaving the island. The county advised visitors that they can book flights to Honolulu and continue on another flight to their destination.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency called on residents and visitors to suspend unnecessary travel to the island to make space for first responders and volunteers heading there to help residents. Visitors on nonessential travel were being asked to leave the island, according to the Hawai*i Tourism Authority.

ICYMI: ‘No indication’ warning sirens sounded before wildfires, report says

Saturday 12 August 2023 08:00 , Ariana Baio

Residents in Maui claim they were not warned of the fast-moving wildfire that killed at least 55 people and displaced thousands of others this past week.

While officials say they sent out alerts, a new report from Associated Press indicates that the Hawaii Emergency Management records show “no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives.”

Officials sent alerts to cell phones, televisions and radio stations – however, the area was experiencing “widespread” power and cellphone outages.

Maui fires knocked out ‘coconut wireless’ neighbour warning network

Saturday 12 August 2023 07:32 , Tara Cobham

Earlier this week, rapidly moving wildfires knocked out phone service on Maui, preventing the usual local “coconut wireless” network of neighbours informing each other of the latest news from warning residents on the island they were in danger, according to Hawai’i Governor Josh Green.

“Normally, we would phone call one another, and through what’s often called the ‘coconut wireless,’ where everyone speaks to everyone else in their community, we would know right away that there was danger,” he told CNN on Friday. “That communication was cut off by the destruction of essentially 1000 degree heat that was coming down the mountain.”

According to records from emergency management officials on the island, the state’s 400 emergency warning sirens didn’t trigger as fires sped towards the historic town of Lahaina this week, The Associated Press reports.

Josh Marcus reports:

Maui fires knocked out phones, stopping alerts from local ‘coconut wireless’ network

Maui wildfires: In pictures

Saturday 12 August 2023 07:00 , Ariana Baio

Hawaii Tourism Authority asks non-essential travellers to leave Hawaii

Saturday 12 August 2023 06:00 , Ariana Baio

For those looking to travel to Hawaii or currently travelling to Hawaii, authorities are asking to cancel or return home so hotels can be used to provide shelter for those who have lot their homes.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Hawaii’s State Department of Transportation director said non-essential travel to Maui was strongly discouraged.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) echoed the statement saying: “Non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time. Visitors currently on Maui for non-essential travel reasons are being asked to leave the island as rescue and recovery efforts continue.”

Maui fires in pics: Aerial photos show extent of destruction caused by Hawaii wildfires

Saturday 12 August 2023 05:00 , Ariana Baio

Aerial photos and videos of the devastating wildfires raging in Hawaii this week have revealed the destruction that has followed in their wake.

The massive wildfires have led to the deaths of at least 55 people and 1,000 missing on Hawaii island apart from devastating the historic town of Lahaina.

The photos and videos of the devastation in Maui island have shown Lahaina left in rubble as authorities fear this could be one of the worst disasters experienced by the island community in decades.

Aerial photos show extent of destruction caused by Hawaii wildfires

Watch: Mayor of Maui says the death toll is based on people found outside of buildings

Saturday 12 August 2023 04:00 , Ariana Baio

Hawaii fires: Lahaina’s 150-year-old banyan tree hit by wildfire

Saturday 12 August 2023 03:00 , Ariana Baio

For generations, the banyan tree along Lahaina town’s historic Front Street served as a gathering place, its leafy branches unfurling majestically to give shade from the Hawaiian sun. By most accounts, the sprawling tree was the heart of the oceanside community — towering more than 60 feet (18 meters) and anchored by multiple trunks that span nearly an acre.

Like the town itself, its very survival is now in question, its limbs scorched by a devastating fire that has wiped away generations of history.

For 150 years, the colossal tree-shaded community events, including art fairs. It shaded townsfolk and tourists alike from the Hawaiian sun, befitting for a place once called “Lele,” the Hawaiian word for “relentless sun.”

Ring by ring, the tree has captured history.

Lahaina’s beloved 150-year-old banyan tree hit by wildfire

How uncommon are wildfires in Hawaii?

Saturday 12 August 2023 02:00 , Ariana Baio

The wildfire that hit parts of Maui this past week brought with it an unprecedented level of destruction and death.

But while this incident is uncommon, the state is no stranger to wildfires.

“Wildland fires are not unusual in Hawaii, there are occasional fires every year. This year’s fires, however, are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behaviour is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames,” Dr Thomas Smith, an associate professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science said in a statement.

Dr Smith says the fire’s speed and intensity was driven by the land which contained plenty of dry and combustible vegetation.

“Land abandonment is a factor that played a role in the intensity and speed of the fire,” Dr Smith said.

“It’s clear from satellite imagery and from those who know the area well that the rural land to the east of Lahaina was once intensely managed plantations, with irrigation ditches and terracing. The agricultural land would have been fire resistant, with a very low fuel load (flammable vegetation) and higher fuel moisture due to the irrigation.”

“Since most of this land has been abandoned, long grasses, shrubs and young trees had taken root, substantially increasing the amount of flammable vegetation surrounding the town,” he added.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donate $100m to Maui fire relief effort

Saturday 12 August 2023 01:37 , Josh Marcus

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez are pledging $100m towards relief efforts in Maui after a series of devastating wildfires.

“Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated,” Ms Sanchez wrote on Instagram on Friday. “The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen – even after much of the attention has subsided. Jeff and I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicating $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”

More details in our full story.

Maui fires death toll now at 67

Saturday 12 August 2023 01:14 , Josh Marcus

The death toll in the Hawaii fires has risen to 67 people, meaning the disaster on Maui has surpassed the deadliest disaster in recent state history, a 1961 tsunami that killed 61 people.

Maui wildfire survivor tells of ‘dead bodies floating in the water’

Saturday 12 August 2023 01:00 , Ariana Baio

A Maui wildlife survivor has told how there are still “dead bodies in the water floating” following the devastating blazes that have killed at least 55 people.

Hawaiian residents are bracing for the death toll to climb higher with around 1,000 people still missing in the apocalyptic wildfires.

Kekoa Lansford told the BBC that his hometown of Lahaina, which was at the centre of the wildfires and saw 1,000 structures burn down, would take “years to fix” after the disaster.

Graeme Massie reports:

Maui wildfire survivor tells of ‘dead bodies floating in the water’

Family of veteran missing in devastating Maui wildfires clings to hope he escaped the blaze

Saturday 12 August 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

The family of a Korean War veteran is desperately searching for him after they lost contact with him amid the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.

Authorities in fire-scorched Maui County have confirmed at least 55 fatalities, as the largest blaze, still raging in Lahaina, is now 80 per cent contained. More than 1,000 people are still unaccounted for in what is believed to be the deadliest disaster in the state’s history, Governor Josh Green said during a press conference on Thursday night, warning that the death toll is expected to climb.

State and federal agencies are scrambling to assist endangered residents and hundreds of families across the country have been unable to locate their loved ones due to cell phone service being down.

Kim Berly told The Independent that she is worried her 79-year-old father Maurice Buen, who lives on Wainee St in Lahaina, was caught in the fire. Ms Berly said she last spoke with Mr Buen on Sunday and is now clinging to hope that he made it out of the blaze.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Family of veteran missing in deadly Maui wildfires clings to hope he escaped blaze

Death toll in Hawai’i disaster rises to 59

Friday 11 August 2023 23:52 , Josh Marcus

An estimated 59 people died in wildfires that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui this week, Governor Josh Green told CNN on Friday.

Another 1,000 people are reportedly missing in the disaster, according to officials.

Governor of Hawaii says he’s ‘never seen’ something like Maui fires

Friday 11 August 2023 23:34 , Josh Marcus

Hawai’i governor Josh Green says he’s “never” seen a combination of disasters like the recent, devastating fires in Maui.

“One can safely say we do have wildfires every year but we’ve always been able to contain them,” he told CNN on Friday. “Whether the variables are different this time or not, I’ve been in Hawaii for 23 years, but I have never seen the convergence of a fire, a hurricane, and gale force winds at the same time near one of our towns.”

Over 1500 structures were damaged or destroyed in Hawaii wildfire

Friday 11 August 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

A report from The New York Times estimated that around 1,1900 structures in Lahaina on the island of Maui were “visibly damaged or destroyed” by the wildfires.

The estimate is a massive increase from the roughly 700 structures that were previously thought to be burned in the fires.

Satellite mobile hotspots reach Maui to try to rebuild communications

Friday 11 August 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

Portable mobile hotspots have arrived in Maui to restore Internet service and help victims of the devastating wildfire call for help.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green told reporters on Thursday that with communication systems destroyed in the fires, many of those unaccounted for had been unable to confirm they were safe.

“Here’s the challenge: there’s no power, no internet, no phone, no radio. You compound some of that. So when we’re speaking to our officers, we need them to get a sat phone,” he said.

“There’s around 1,000 missing. It doesn’t mean that many have passed - I’m not saying that at all - but because we can’t contact them we can’t know.”

Verizon told CNN that its teams on Thursday had deployed a first batch of satellite-based mobile hotspots at evacuation sites on Maui.

The company was also barging heavier equipment from Honolulu, including mobile equipment on wheels that connect to a carrier’s service via satellite. It was also moving a satellite trailer that provides service to cell sites with damaged fibre connections.

“Our team is closely monitoring the situation on the ground and our network performance,” a Verizon spokesperson told CNN.

“Verizon engineers on the island are working to restore service in impacted areas as quickly and safely as possible.”

Is it safe to travel to Hawaii?

Friday 11 August 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has said: “Non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time. Visitors currently on Maui for non-essential travel reasons are being asked to leave the island as rescue and recovery efforts continue.”

The HTA added: “Currently, travel is still welcomed to the island of Hawaii. Visitors are encouraged to contact their hotel accommodations provider and airlines for updates that could affect their stay on island.”

Benjamin Parker reports:

Maui fires: Is it safe to travel to Hawaii?

Why the wildfire loss of Lahaina’s banyan tree is so devastating

Friday 11 August 2023 21:20 , Ariana Baio

As wildfires tore through the Hawaiian Island of Maui this week, not even the famed banyan tree could be spared from the raging flames.

The beloved tree, which has stood at the centre of the historic town of Lahaina for more than 150 years, was left scorched and charred beyond recognition, images showing its blackened branches and trunks among the embers.

But, despite the damage, for now, the tree is still standing.

For many years, the iconic tree along the Lahaina town’s Front Street served as a gathering place.

Faiza Saqib reports:

Why the wildfire loss of Lahaina’s banyan tree is so devastating

Residents of Lahaina will be permitted to return on Friday

Friday 11 August 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Hawaii governor Josh Green said residents of Lahaina – the town on Maui ravaged by wildfires this past week – will be allowed to return on Friday, 11 August.

“They will see destruction like they’ve not ever seen in their lives,” Mr Green told local news outlet KHON 2.

People can expect an announcement from Maui mayor Richard Bissen about how residents can return home and if there will be a curfew.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website