Hawaii fire death tolls hits 111 as Maui officials say warning sirens would not have saved lives: Live updates

At least 111 people have died as a result of the fast-moving Maui wildfires that caused widespread destruction in the town of Lahaina.

As search efforts are underway, many have criticised Maui officials for not sounding alarms that would have indicated to residents there was an imminent threat.

However, Maui County Emergency Management Agency administrator Herman Andaya said he does not regret not sounding the sirens because they may not have saved lives.

“Had we sounded the siren that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka (to the mountainside),” Mr Andaya said in a press conference on Wednesday

Mr Andaya said the sirens are typically used in the event of a tsunami and the public is trained to seek higher ground when they are sounded.

“And if that’s the case, then they would have gone into the fire.”

The official cause of the fires is still yet to be determined but security footage of a tree falling on a power line at a Maui bird sanctuary is being investigated as a possible trigger. Others point to the role of downed power lines elsewhere on the island and flammable grasses.

Key points

• Maui wildfires death toll reaches 111

• What caused the fires in Maui?

• Biden to visit Maui on Monday after backlash over response

• First victims of Hawaii wildfires publicly named

• Investigation under way as new video suggests possible cause of fire

How Hawaii residents are uniting to help victims as aid makes the long journey to the fire-stricken island

07:40 , Stuti Mishra

Volunteers on Maui have cobbled together countless improvised, urgent solutions like shipments of insulin in response to the country’s deadliest wildfire in over a century, which has killed more than 100 people and displaced thousands.

As nonprofit groups struggle to deliver aid to the second-farthest state from the US mainland, here's how mutual aid groups and local businesses are helping fill the cracks.

Read here:

Maui residents fill philanthropic gaps while aid makes the long journey to the fire-stricken island

How officials are identifying charred bodies after Maui fires

07:21 , Stuti Mishra

As agonised loved ones yearn for information about those missing in Maui after the United States’ deadliest wildfire in more than a century, officials are struggling to identify the remains of more than 100 victims.

The advent of DNA technology and subsequent advances have provided powerful tools. But finding remains, zeroing in on genetic material or other clues and amassing the information needed to get a match still takes time – if certainty comes at all.

Here's a look at how the work of identification unfolds:

Identifying victims of the Maui wildfire will be a challenging task. Here's what it entails

Full story: Maui wildfire official quits after defending decision not to sound sirens warning of blaze

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Maui’s top emergencies official has abruptly resigned as local authorities came under increasing scrutiny over their response to the devastating wildfires that have killed at least 111 people on the Hawaiian island so far.

Herman Andaya, the chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, sent his letter of resignation to mayor Richard Bissen on Thursday, and it was accepted immediately, the county of Maui confirmed in a statement.

Here's what he said about his decisions in response to the wildfires and everything that led to his resignation:

Maui wildfire official quits after defending decision not to sound sirens

Search for missing moves beyond Lahaina

06:45 , Stuti Mishra

The painstaking search for human remains through a burned-out area of ash and debris in Lahaina has covered at least 45 per cent of houses, governor Josh Green said on Thursday.

Authorities say the search for the missing has moved beyond Lahaina to other communities that were destroyed.

However, it will probably continue for at least another week.

The FBI's Honolulu division said it is helping Maui police locate and identify missing people. Immediate family members who are on Maui can provide DNA samples at the Hyatt Recency in Kaanapali beginning Friday, and those elsewhere can contact the FBI for instructions.

Maui power authority responds to criticism

06:20 , Stuti Mishra

The Hawaii power authority has responded to criticism over leaving power lines on amid strong winds.

One video showed a cable dangling in a charred patch of grass, surrounded by flames, in the early moments, leading to speculations of a downed line being a possible cause of the wildfire.

“Facts about this event will continue to evolve,” Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura wrote in an email to utility customers on Thursday, according to AP.

“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.”

Watch: Maui official explained why they did not sound sirens before Hawaii wildfires

05:30 , Stuti Mishra

Maui's emergency services chief resigns after facing criticism

04:47 , Stuti Mishra

The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly on Thursday, a day after saying he had no regrets about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people.

That decision from the agency directed by administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents.

Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided.

"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," Mr Bissen said in the statement.

A day earlier, Andaya defended the decision not to sound sirens as the 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," Mr Andaya said, using a Hawaiian word that means inland or toward the mountain. "If that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire."

Karine Jean-Pierre suffers social media mishap as she posts message meant for Biden’s account

04:00 , Ariana Baio

‘When I ran for President, I made a promise that I would leave no part of the country behind,’ White House press secretary unexpectedly declared on social media

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Karine Jean-Pierre suffers mishap as she posts tweet meant for Biden’s account

Watch: Kamala Harris snaps at climate heckler during Massachusetts speech: ‘I’m speaking’

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Who are the Maui wildfire victims?

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Raging wildfires in Maui have left at least 106 people dead and thousands of others missing after they were forced to flee their homes.

“We are heartsick that we’ve had such loss,” Hawaii governor Josh Green said during a news conference on Tuesday.

Mr Green said he expects the death toll to rise every day as recovery teams and cadaver dogs search the burned area in Lahaina on Maui. Despite the number of deaths increasing, only a few of the 111 have been identified.

Who are the Maui wildfire victims?

Biden declines to respond when asking about Hawaii trip

01:00 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden declined to comment when reporters asked him to share details about his trip to Hawaii, just as the President is facing backlash for his response to the wildfires.

“Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip, sir?” One reporter asked.

Mr Biden hesitated for a moment before saying, “No, not right now.”

The President reiterated that he would be in Maui on Monday alongside First Lady Jill Biden.

Maui wildfire survivors face new threat from chemical contamination that could linger

00:00 , Ariana Baio

Maui residents have been warned that wildfires burning since 8 August have contaminated water, air and soil and could pose health risks for months to come.

The deadly wildfires have claimed at least 99 lives, and destroyed an estimated 2,700 buildings around Lahaina containing hazardous household wastes, treated wood, paints and other toxic materials, officials said.

The Hawaiian Department of Health has warned that ash and dust from burned homes and businesses could contain deadly toxic chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic and lead.

They also advised residents to wear surgical masks such as N95s and goggles, gloves, and closed-toed shoes to avoid skin contact with ash.

They also warned people to avoid washing ash into drains or using vacuums that will stir up carcinogenic particles into the air.

Maui officials defend decision to not sound outdoor sirens as wildfires approached

23:00 , Ariana Baio

Officials in Maui, Hawaii believe sounding the local alarm system before the wildfires engulfed several neighbourhoods would not have been useful, they said in a press conference on Wednesday.

As the death toll in Maui rises each day, questions have been raised over the officials who chose not to activate their emergency alert system and have sirens go off near coastal towns like Lahaina before the fast-moving fires reached populated areas.

Ariana Baio reports:

Maui officials defend decision to not sound outdoor sirens before wildfires

Ron DeSantis deploys K9 units to Maui

22:30 , Ariana Baio

Florida governor Ron DeSantis said he offered resources to Hawaii governor Josh Green in the wake of the Maui wildfires, including K-9s and handlers.

“Florida has deployed specialised K-9s and handlers from Florida’s USAR Teams to Maui,” Mr DeSantis tweeted on Thursday.

It is unclear what the K-9s will be used for but cadaver dogs are currently being utilised to search for the bodies of those who perished in the fire.

“Florida stands with the people of Hawaii,” Mr DeSantis wrote.

Pilot vacationing in Hawaii took day off to fly Maui visitors off island

22:00 , Ariana Baio

Vince Eckelkamp, a line training manager at United Airlines from Denver, was wrapping up his vacation in Hawaii with his family when the fires began last week.

When his own flight got delayed then cancelled due to the fires, Mr Eckelkamp said he decided to step up to help out other pilots to fly visitors off the island in the middle of the crisis.

He told USA Today that he texted another pilot who was scheduled to fly out to ask if he needed help who accepted his offer.

Mr Eckelkamp flew the plane from Maui to San Francisco to get 330 people off the island in the midst of the disaster.

‘If I hadn’t stepped up, or if I wasn’t there [the flight would have been canelled],” Mr Eckelkamp told USA Today.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to do the right thing.”

Republic of Korea donates $2m to wildfire relief

21:30 , Ariana Baio

Pilot vacationing in Hawaii took day off to fly people out of Maui

21:00 , Ariana Baio

Vince Eckelkamp, a line training manager at United Airlines from Denver, was wrapping up his vacation in Hawaii with his family when the fires began last week.

When his own flight got delayed then cancelled due to the fires, Mr Eckelkamp said he decided to step up to help out other pilots to fly visitors off the island in the middle of the crisis.

He told USA Today that he texted another pilot who was scheduled to fly out to ask if he needed help who accepted his offer.

Mr Eckelkamp flew the plane from Maui to San Francisco to get 330 people off the island in the midst of the disaster.

‘If I hadn’t stepped up, or if I wasn’t there [the flight would have been canelled],” Mr Eckelkamp told USA Today.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to do the right thing.”

Maui Fire Department promotes fire drill safety plans

20:30 , Ariana Baio

Children in Maui are returning to school and in the wake of the devastating wildfires are undergoing fire drills to make sure they can evacuate safely.

The County of Maui Fire Department posted on Facebook reminding people to have a fire evacuation plan in their homes and inform all residents of what to do in the event of a fire.

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to holidaymakers travelling to Maui amid deadly wildfires

20:00 , Ariana Baio

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.

In Photos: Lahaina after the fire

19:30 , Ariana Baio

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

19:00 , Ariana Baio

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green vowed “to keep the land in local people’s hands” after a deadly wildfire that incinerated a historic Maui community, as the island’s schools began reopening and traffic resumed on a major road.

Green said at a Wednesday news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges.

“My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimized from a land grab,” Green said. “People are right now traumatized. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. 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.”

Also Wednesday, the number of dead reached 111, and Maui police said nine victims had been identified, and the families of five had been notified. A mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived Tuesday to help process and identify remains.

After a fast-moving wildfire consumed much of Lahaina about a week ago, concern spread that rebuilding would accelerate the town’s transformation into a tropical haven for affluent outsiders.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Highly flammable grasses in Hawaii fueled spread of deadly Maui wildfires, experts say

18:30 , Ariana Baio

Highly flammable grass is believed to have fuelled the rapid spread of the deadly wildfires in Maui that have killed at least 111 people and destroyed the island’s historic town of Lahaina.

Experts say the invasive, non-native grassland that covers a quarter of the Hawaii islands has been a major fire risk they have been warning about for years.

The types of grass, including guinea grass, molasses grass and buffel grass, originated in Africa but were brought to Hawaii for livestock because it proved drought-resistant.

“These grasses are highly aggressive, grow very fast and are highly flammable,” Melissa Chimera, who coordinates the Pacific Fire Exchange, a Hawaii-based project sharing fire science among Pacific island governments, told The New York Times.

“That’s a recipe for fires that are a lot larger and a lot more destructive,” Ms Chimera added. Her grandmother lived on the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.’s plantation in Maui after emigrating from the Philippines.

Why officials did not sound outdoor alarms

17:30 , Ariana Baio

On Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency website, it indicates that their outdoor siren system can be used for hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents and more.

Despite this, both Governor Josh Green and Maui County Emergency Management Agency administrator Herman Andaya say the siren would not have been useful if it was sounded before the fires.

Both Mr Green and Mr Andaya said the siren is advertised as being used almost exclusively for tsunamis – especially for beachside neighbourhoods and towns.

Mr Green said when he first moved to Hawaii he was always told, “If you hear a siren it’s a tsunami you go to high ground.”

That single-minded approach to the sirens has proven dangerous after the Maui wildfires. Mr Green said going forward they are going to find new ways to keep the public informed about incoming disasters.

“We’re performing a comprehensive review to find out what the safest and most effective, science-based way is to protect people,” Mr Green told reporters.

Video shows volunteers lining up to assist West Maui

17:00 , Ariana Baio

Officials release three more names of victims

16:40 , Ariana Baio

On Wednesday evening, the County of Maui released three more names of victims who died in the wildfires.

Melva Benjamin (71) of Lahaina

Virginia Dofa (90) of Lahaina

Alfredo Galinato (79) of Lahaina

What items to donate to the people of Maui

16:10 , Ariana Baio

State and local officials have given a list of donation priorities for the people of Maui, according to Hawaii News Now.

First and foremost, officials are asking people not to ship donated items to Hawaii unless they have a specific person who can be on the receiving end of it. If you have items to donate, use the Hawaii Community Foundation and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

In-demand donations include non-perishable foods, specifically protein and vegetables, water, water totes, outdoor sinks, wheelchairs and tents.

People are asking to not donate any more clothing as there is a surplus.

National Weather Service says expect ‘no impacts’ due to tropical storm

15:45 , Ariana Baio

A tropical storm approximately 530 miles off the coast of Hawaii is not expected to impact the island, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The NWS said Tropical Storm Greg is expected to pass through the Central Pacific, south of Hawaii.

Another tropical storm, named Fernanda, is expected to weaken but bring some rain or wind.

Maui officials say they do not regret not sounding sirens before wildfires

15:20 , Ariana Baio

Reports have emerged indicating residents in Lahaina and Maui received no warning about the fast-moving wildfires that killed at least 111 people – leading to criticism of Maui officials.

But those officials are saying sounding the alarms may not have been helpful.

Maui County Emergency Management Agency administrator, Herman Andaya, told reporters on Wednesday that he does not have regrets about not sounding the alarms

“Had we sounded the siren that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka (to the mountainside),” Mr Andaya said.

Mr Andaya said the sirens are used, typically, for a tsunami and the public is trained to seek higher ground when they are alerted.

Mr Andaya added: “And if that’s the case, then they would have gone into the fire.”

An investigation into the cause of the wildfires and how officials handled the response is underway.

Lahaina fire has ‘no active threats’ at this time

14:45 , Ariana Baio

The wildfire in Lahaina, Maui is 89 per cent contained, the County of Maui said on Wednesday evening.

“There are no active threats at this time,” officials wrote on the County of Maui Facebook page.

The fire has burned an estimated 2,170 acres in Lahaina.

Biden issues message to people of Maui on ‘Good Morning America'

14:25 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden recorded a special message for the of Maui, Hawaii insisting he will be there help them “recover, rebuild and grieve.”

Thursday morning, Good Morning America dedicated its broadcast to the wildfires with a “Maui Strong” special.

During the special, Mr Biden promised residents of Maui, “we’ll be with you for as long as it takes.”

The President is expected to visit Maui on Monday alongside First Lady Jill Biden to meet with officials, survivors and volunteers.

“Jill and I will travel to Hawaii to convey, in person, our grief and solidarity and commitment to the people of Maui,” Mr Biden said.

Voices: Biden got a ‘3am phone call’ moment on Hawaii – he swung and he missed

14:00 , Ariana Baio

The outrage that followed is a lesson for White House staffers and their campaign team counterparts: your boss is never off the clock. At any given moment, a crisis can unfold somewhere in America — or elsewhere — and demand a response from the president, informed by his staff and articulated by communications professionals.

An unrealistic expectation, sure. But that’s the world we live in, where presidents are expected to be ready to take that 3am phone call, even if it disrupts a vacation during a rare break in the summer heat wave. Part of it can be blamed on the expectations past presidential contenders put on the job, for good or ill, while much of it is also a creation of the 24/7 news cycle that has taken hold of Washington.

John Bowden writes:

Biden got a '3am phone call' moment on Hawaii – he swung and he missed

Karine Jean-Pierre defends accusations Biden ignored Hawaii wildfires: ‘He has been talking about this’

13:20 , Ariana Baio

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back on accusations that President Joe Biden failed to address the Hawaii wildfires saying Mr Biden “has been talking about this.”

Ms Jean-Pierre joined CNN host Phil Mattingly on Wednesday morning to speak about Mr Biden’s efforts in Hawaii, hours after she confirmed that the President and First Lady Jill Biden would visit Maui on Monday.

As soon as Ms Jean-Pierre joined the show, Mr Mattingly asked why Mr Biden chose not to address the wildfires in Hawaii for a week. He claimed Mr Biden spoke about the fires for the first time on Tuesday during a speech in Milwaukee.

Ms Jean-Pierre sharply responded to Mr Mattingly’s accusations with, “I would disagree with that.”

“When I was with [the President] out there in Utah, he was there to talk about the PACT Act…. at the top of his remarks he talked about what was going on in Hawaii and how we were moving forward with the federal whole of government response. So he has been talking about this,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.

Space lasers, boat burnings and elite land grabs: How the Maui wildfires became fodder for conspiracy theorists

12:00 , Ariana Baio

When Joe Biden announced the federal government’s latest aid package to families left homeless by the Maui wildfires on Monday, a seemingly innocuous turn of phrase sent conspiracists into meltdown.

“We’re laser-focused on getting aid to survivors,” the president wrote, apparently unaware of the bogus claims circulating on social media of space lasers being used to deliberately start the wildfires that swept through Maui on 8 August.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Space lasers and boat burnings: Bizarre Maui wildfire conspiracies

Dr. Miles Stones’ 'Fire and Fury' book sparks alarm for being published 2 days after Maui fires began

11:20 , Rachel Sharp

Since the wildfires started in Hawaii earlier this month, nonsense conspiracy theories about ‘space lasers’ have been rampant on social media but one of the weirdest phenomena related to the tragedy is currently happening on Amazon.

A book called Fire and Fury: The Story of the 2023 Maui Fire and its Implications for Climate Change by Dr Miles Stones has attracted a lot of interest in recent days thanks to it largely being published just two days after the fires began on August 8th.

The book, which comes in at a whopping 44 pages, is currently listed as a ‘bestseller‘ in the Natural Disasters section of Amazon and is available on Kindle and in paperback editions.

Read the full story here:

Maui book sparks alarm for being published two days after wildfires began

County of Maui opens DMV to West Maui residents who lost license in fire

11:00 , Ariana Baio

Biden to visit Maui on Monday

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Maui, Hawaii on Monday 21 August to meet with first responders, survivors and officials– nearly two weeks after devastating wildfires ravaged parts of the island.

Days after Mr Biden faced backlash from individuals who believed the President did not have enough of a public-facing approach to addressing the wildfires, the White House announced the trip.

“In Maui, the President and First Lady will be welcomed by state and local leaders to see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery efforts,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote in a statement.

Ariana Baio reports:

Biden to visit Maui on Monday after awkward speech on wildfires sparks further anger

Nancy Pelosi describe Maui wildfire disaster as an example of ‘urgent’ task to ‘save our planet'

10:00 , Ariana Baio

From Minnesota to Maui: The deadliest fires in US history

09:30 , Stuti Mishra

From Minnesota to Maui: The deadliest fires in US history

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs

09:00 , Stuti Mishra

Hawaii governor Josh Green vowed "to keep the land in local people's hands" after the deadly wildfire incinerated the historic Maui community.

Mr Green said at a Wednesday news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges.

"My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimized from a land grab," Mr Green said.

"People are right now traumatized. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. 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."

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

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

Governor Josh Green says 'mistakes happened' in wildfire response but defends efforts

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

From the decision to not use sirens to shortages of available water to fight the fire, state and local officials have faced public criticism over the response to the worst wildfire in US history in over a century.

The chaotic evacuation that saw many trapped in their vehicles on a jammed roadway as flames swept over them also led to several questions.

At a news conference, governor Josh Green was asked about that mistrust and how they can assure the public they will do all that's needed to help the community rebuild.

"Did mistakes happen? Absolutely," the governor said, adding: "You can look here to see who you can trust," referring to the police, fire, emergency and Red Cross officials standing behind him.

Herman Andaya, Maui Emergency Management Agency administrator, defended not sounding the sirens during the fire.

"We were afraid that people would have gone mauka," he said, using the Hawaiian directional term that can mean toward the mountains or inland. "If that was the case then they would have gone into the fire."

"I can't answer why people don't trust people," Maui mayor Richard 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?"

Schools start to reopen after devastating fire

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Public schools in Maui started the process of reopening and traffic resumed on a major road in signs of recovery a week after wildfires demolished a historic town and killed at least 110 people.

At least three schools untouched by flames in Lahaina, where entire neighbourhoods were reduced to ash, were still being assessed after sustaining wind damage, Hawaii Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi said.

"There's still a lot of work to do, but overall the campuses and classrooms are in good condition structurally, which is encouraging," Mr Hayashi said in a video update. "We know the recovery effort is still in the early stages, and we continue to grieve the many lives lost."

Electricity restored to most Hawaiian Electric customers

15:57 , Ariana Baio

The County of Maui said that more than 80 per cent of Hawaiian Electric customers who have been without electricity since the Maui wildfires.

This includes the Lahaina Civic Center.

The company is working to restore power in West Maui area though about 2,000 customers are still without electricity.

Work continues on infrastructure to support restoration in the West Maui area, where facilities that provide essential needs such as groceries and supplies are located.

Airbnb.org teams up with Hawaii governor to house victims

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Airbnb.org, a nonprofit organisation that connects victims of crises to temporary housing, has teamed up to help house victims of the Maui wildfires that lost all of their belongings and homes.

The company will provide, free temporary stays for at least 1,000 displaced Maui residents.

“We are so incredibly appreciative of the outpouring of community support for Maui in offering their properities to house those deeply affected by the Maui fires. This is aloha in action,” governor Green said.

Those with homes that have a spare room can sign up to house another person on Airbnb.org or other people can donate on their website.

Are downed power lines possible cause of deadly Maui wildfires?

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Awakened by howling winds that tore through his Maui neighborhood, Shane Treu went out at dawn and saw a wooden power pole suddenly snap with a flash, its sparking, popping line falling to the dry grass below and quickly igniting a row of flames.

He called 911 and then turned on Facebook video to livestream his attempt to fight the blaze in Lahaina, including wetting down his property with a garden hose.

“I heard ‘buzz, buzz,’” the 49-year-old resort worker recounted to The Associated Press. “It was almost like somebody lit a firework. It just ran straight up the hill to a bigger pile of grass and then, with that high wind, that fire was blazing.”

Mr Treu’s video and others captured the early moments of what would become the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Now the footage has emerged as key evidence pointing to fallen utility lines as the possible cause. Hawaiian Electric Co. faces criticism for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings and keeping it on even as dozens of poles began to topple.

A class-action lawsuit has already been filed seeking to hold the company responsible for the deaths of at least 99 people. The suit cites the utility’s own documents showing it was aware that preemptive power shutoffs such as those used in California were an effective strategy to prevent wildfires but never adopted them.

The Associated Press contribute to this report

Spam sends food to Maui amid devastating Hawaii wildfires: ‘We see you and love you’

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Canned meat brand Spam, a beloved Hawaiian staple, has announced its intention to help bring food to the island amid the devastating wildfires.

In a statement shared to Facebook on 10 August, Spam, which is owned by Hormel Foods, announced it is partnering with humanitarian organisation Convoy of Hope to send more of the product to residents that have been affected by the wildfires across the state. The most recent death toll has reached 106 and is expected to rise as only 32 per cent of the burned area of Lahaina has been searched.

Brittany Miller reports:

Spam sends food to Maui amid devastating Hawaii wildfires: ‘We see you and love you’

Watch: Governor Josh Green provide update on Maui wildfires

Thursday 17 August 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus

Maui wildfire survivor reveals harrowing details of dead babies in ocean

Thursday 17 August 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

A man who escaped the Maui fires by spending hours in the ocean has revealed harrowing details of how he survived one of the most terrifying natural disasters the country has seen in years.

Local resident Mike Cicchino, who lived in one of Lahaina’s inland neighbourhoods with his wife, has spoken out about his terrifying escape from the deadly fires last week.

Mr Cicchino was driving to the hardware store last Tuesday for a generator when he was suddenly caught in a desperate fight for his life.

The neighbourhood quickly became engulfed in flames and it was “like a continuous bomb going off,” Mr Cicchino told NewsNation host Natasha Zouves.

Mr Cicchino raced back to his house and gathered his wife and the dogs they were watching and attempted to flee the area. The smoke was so thick and black, they eventually lost some of the dogs, he said.

“Behind us, straight ahead, beside us, everywhere was on fire,” Mr Cicchino said.

Their only option, as they could tell, was to jump into the ocean.

For the next five or six hours, Mr Cicchino said that he and his wife moved back and forth between the ocean and shore. When flames fell from the sky, they ducked beneath the surface of the water.

“There are points where we were starting to pass out and we were about to drown,” Mr Cicchino said. “Then, we got to come to shore. The cars parked next to shore caught on fire or were exploding. It was a leapfrog of fire. Go out, we’re getting burned. Come in, go out. Everywhere, we were getting burned or we couldn’t breathe.”

Mr Cicchino broke down as he recounted seeing death unfold before his eyes while desperately trying to keep himself and his wife above water.

They saw several bodies slumped against a wall at the shoreline, he said.

Other people in the ocean desperately clung to their babies and small children as the water whipped them around for hours. When Mr Cicchino later returned with the US Coast Guard to help pull people out of the water, the babies were gone.

“I saw babies out there that I never saw again,” Mr Cicchino said, his voice breaking. “When I came back, when I was doing a headcount of the kids, the babies weren’t there anymore.”

How flammable grasses fueled Maui’s wildfires

Wednesday 16 August 2023 23:30 , Josh Marcus

Highly flammable grass is believed to have fuelled the rapid spread of the deadly wildfires in Maui that have killed at least 106 people and destroyed the island’s historic town of Lahaina.

Experts say the invasive, non-native grassland that covers a quarter of the Hawaii islands has been a major fire risk they have been warning about for years.

The types of grass, including guinea grass, molasses grass and buffel grass, originated in Africa but were brought to Hawaii for livestock because it proved drought-resistant.

“These grasses are highly aggressive, grow very fast and are highly flammable,” Melissa Chimera, who coordinates the Pacific Fire Exchange, a Hawaii-based project sharing fire science among Pacific island governments, told The New York Times.

Andrea Cavallier reports.

Highly flammable grass in Hawaii fueled spread of deadly Maui wildfires, experts say

Maui wildfire survivors face new threat from chemical contamination that could linger for months

Wednesday 16 August 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

Maui residents have been warned that wildfires burning since 8 August have contaminated water, air and soil and could pose health risks for months to come.

The deadly wildfires have claimed at least 99 lives, and destroyed an estimated 2,700 buildings around Lahaina containing hazardous household wastes, treated wood, paints and other toxic materials, officials said.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Maui wildfire survivors face new threat from chemical contamination

Sixty survivors found alive sheltering in Maui home as search enters ninth day

Wednesday 16 August 2023 22:31 , Josh Marcus

Sixty survivors of the Maui wildfires have been rescued from a single home that had been cut off since wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island, officials say.

The large group had sheltered in an isolated residence in western Maui that had been without electricity and cell phone coverage since 8 August, Maui County mayor Richard Bisset said.

Mr Bisset revealed details of the extraordinary rescue as the death toll from the deadly wildfires rose to 106.

“We discovered yesterday that there was a family that was housing 60 people at a home on the west side, and many of those folks were unaccounted for, and they’ve now been reunited with their families,” Mr Bisset said.

Bevan Hurley reports on this shocking development.

Sixty survivors found alive sheltering in Maui home as search enters ninth day

Federal agencies provide aide and packages to Hawaii victims

Wednesday 16 August 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

Several US government agencies have compiled packages and aid to people in Hawaii who were affected by the wildfires.

“Through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), deployed 25 additional experts from the National Disaster Medical System’s (NDMS) Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) and a Victim Identification Center (VIC) Team to Hawaii to augment state and local mortuary resources in the wildfire response.”

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also announced a package of waivers to accelerate residents’ recovery.

This includes suspending a Community Development Block Grant, so more funding can be given, providing flexibility in HOME INvestment Partnerships, extending the period of time that individuals can receive temporary assistance and more.

Wildfires in California: Evacuations ordered as Head wildfire spreads

Wednesday 16 August 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

An intensifying wildfire in northern California has forced locals to evacuate a nearby town.

Some residents of Siskiyou County, California — just south of Hamburg and the state’s northern border — were ordered to flee their homes as the Head Fire in the nearby Klamath National Forest began threatening the region. The fire was estimated to cover between 3,000 and 4,000 acres, according to local forest authorities.

“The #HeadFire has increased in intensity and rate of spread and has been spotted across the Klamath River due to thunderstorm downdrafts in the area,” officials wrote on Facebook just before 8pm PST on Tuesday.

“The evacuation warning has been elevated to an order. PLEASE LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY.”

Graig Graziosi reports:

Evacuations ordered as Head wildfire spreads in northern California

Watch: Maui survivor reveals harrowing details of dead babies in the ocean

Wednesday 16 August 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Invasive grasses may have contributed to rapid wildfire spread

Wednesday 16 August 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

An invasive grass covering approximately 25 per cent of the land in the Hawaii islands is thought to have contributed to the outrageous wildfires that swept across parts of Maui last week.

The grasses, which are fast-growing, combustible vegetation, made Hawaii “more vulnerable to these destructive fires,” a 2021 report said.

The species of grass include fountaingrass and Guinea grass which were introduced to feed cattle and provide ornamentation.

The report says during the wet season, the grasses grow tall very quickly. But then during the dry season in Hawaii, which it is currently, the grasses turn from green to yellow to brown “pretty quickly.”

Who are the victims of the Maui wildfires?

Wednesday 16 August 2023 19:35 , Ariana Baio

The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for response.

“It’s going to be a very, very difficult mission,” Greene said. “And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims.”

Maui mayor Richard Bissen offered his “deepest condolences” to the families who have received news about their loved ones.

Maui wildfire victims include music-loving local and family of four