Maui Wildfire Death Toll Hits 96 in Deadliest US Blaze in Over 100 Years
Search teams have resumed their painstaking efforts to search for more victims of the devastating Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. Officials have warned that the death toll of 96, already the highest from any US wildfire in over a century, is expected to rise in the coming days. The fast-moving fire, which leveled most of the historic resort town, has left hundreds of people unaccounted for. With risks posed by possible hot spots and toxic fumes, residents are still unable to return to the site.
The Maui wildfire is now considered the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the state, with a death toll that exceeds the tragic wildfire of 1918, known as the Cloquet Fire, which claimed the lives of 453 people in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Search teams, including specially trained dogs, are combing through debris block by block, but the process is slow and challenging due to the intensity of the fire, which melted metal structures.
Residents are grappling with the heartbreaking reality that their homes and properties have been destroyed. Chris Loeffler, whose family’s wooden plantation-style house, which had been in their family for five generations, likely burned down in the fire, expressed concern that some residents might give up and leave the island. He urged his fellow residents not to sell their properties, emphasizing the importance of preserving the community.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation remains extremely hazardous, with engineers having to clear partially standing structures to ensure the safety of the teams. Additional cadaver dogs are being deployed to assist in the search. A crowd-sourced database circulating on social media shows that approximately 1,130 individuals remain unaccounted for as of Monday afternoon. Relatives are turning to social media platforms in search of information about missing family members.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and survivors claim they received no warning before the blaze engulfed the town. Strong wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour fueled the fire, forcing some people to seek refuge in the Pacific Ocean to escape the flames. Questions have been raised about the efficiency of the state’s emergency notification systems, as the sirens intended to alert residents failed to go off.
Hawaiian Electric Industries is currently facing two lawsuits accusing the utility company of being responsible for the fire due to its equipment. While the company has stated its cooperation with the state’s investigation into the cause of the fire, it declined to comment on the pending litigation.
As the fire continues to smolder, officials are urging tourists to reconsider their travel plans to the affected area. Many visitors have heeded these warnings, with approximately 46,000 people having flown out of Kahului Airport, the main airport in Maui, between Wednesday and Saturday. While some residents express frustration towards tourists who haven’t stayed away, businesses in other parts of the island are concerned that a complete halt in tourism could have severe economic consequences.
The Lahaina wildfire has left a devastating impact on the island of Maui, claiming numerous lives and destroying homes and properties. As the search for victims continues, the community rallies together to support one another in the face of this tragedy. Investigations into the cause of the fire and the performance of the emergency notification systems are underway, aiming to prevent such catastrophic events in the future.
