Hawaii wildfires latest: Death toll rises to 96 in deadliest U.S. fire disaster in a century
Rescue efforts are in full swing in Hawaii as firefighters continue to battle the blaze six days after the wildfires began.
At least 96 people have been confirmed dead and 1,000 others are missing in Hawaii in what is the deadliest fire in the U.S. in over a century, according to data from the National Fire Protection Association. The number of lives lost is likely to increase as rescue efforts continue across the island of Maui.
By the numbers:
At least 96 people confirmed dead
85% containment on Lahaina wildfires
3% of affected land searched
An estimated 1,000 people reported missing
More than 1,600 residents staying in shelters
2,200 structures damaged or destroyed
Below is the latest on Hawaii’s wildfires.
Calls for probe on emergency response
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has called for an investigation into the emergency response to the wildfires. None of the 400 alarms stationed on Hawaii’s archipelago activated when the wildfires began, Adam Weintraub, spokesman of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said. “Nobody at the state and nobody at the county attempted to activate those sirens, based on our records,” Weintraub said. It was confirmed that text alerts had been sent out, as well as warnings on television and radio stations. But some residents claimed to have not received any phone alerts. The review, Lopez said, would provide an “understanding of the decisions that were made before and during” the wildfire catastrophe.
Read more on Yahoo News:
CBS News: How did the Maui fire start? What we know about the Lahaina blaze
Yahoo News: How to help Hawaii's wildfire victims: Food banks, shelters and cash donations
CNN: Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult
Politico: Hawaii's churches offer prayers for the dead and the missing after Maui wildfires
Los Angeles Times: 'There are bodies everywhere': In devastation of Maui fire, California's past horrors lurk
‘I will be here for the long haul,’ Oprah tells Maui residents
Oprah Winfrey, who owns 1,000 acres in Maui, visited an emergency shelter on the island on Sunday to deliver goods to those affected by the wildfires. “We’re all still going to be here trying to figure out what is the best way to rebuild,” she told the evacuees. “I will be here for the long haul, doing what I can.” Winfrey dropped off personal hygiene products and water, as she spoke to those who had fled their homes.
Lawyers send experts to investigate power lines as possible cause
A group of attorneys has organized several experts to investigate downed power lines as a possible source of the wildfires. Lawyers from Frantz Law Group, Singleton Schreiber and Watts Guerra have been collecting evidence around the damaged infrastructure owned by Hawaiian Electric Industries. “All evidence — videos, witness accounts, burn progression and utility equipment remaining — points to Hawaiian Electric’s equipment being the ignition source of the fire that devastated Lahaina,” Mikal Watts, a lawyer at Watts Guerra, said. Hawaiian Electric has been criticized for not shutting off the power despite reports of hurricane winds hitting the islands. Government officials have not concluded their investigation into the source of the fires.
Lahaina water system collapsed during efforts to contain the blaze
The water system in the now devastated town of Lahaina collapsed as firefighters attempted to contain the fires that eventually overwhelmed the town. Last Tuesday, those involved in the rescue effort noticed that the hydrants began to run dry, forcing firefighters to risk their lives in order to save others. Dry conditions and the rise in population on the island caused the water system to dry up sooner than expected.
Maui rebuild to cost billions
Government officials estimated that the cost of rebuilding Maui after days of catastrophic wildfires could be more than $5 billion. Preliminary estimates released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the University of Hawaii's Pacific Disaster Center state that the wildfires affected both residential and commercial properties that could cost $5.52 billion to reconstruct. Most of the buildings affected were located in Lahaina, a popular tourist destination and an important historical landmark.
