- Deadly flames overtook Hawaiian town ‘without warning’, residents say
- Maui fire deaths surge to 55 and likely to go higher, governor says
- Wildfire wreckage in Lahaina.
- President Biden declares major disaster on Maui.
- Maui residents had ‘little warning’ before flames overtook the town.
- Maui County confirmed on Thursday night that the death toll has risen to 55.
In a statement, authorities reported a two-person increase in the overall number of fatalities attributed to the Lahaina, Pulehu, and Upcountry fires. The Lahaina fire, the statement noted, is still active.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said that efforts are ongoing to locate and identify individuals who lost their lives during the rapid spread of the fire through Lahaina.
To aid in the process, search and rescue teams from California and Washington state, equipped with disaster expertise including using dogs to find human remains, have been dispatched to Maui, as confirmed by officials. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier appealed for patience, prayers, and persistence.
In light of the ongoing dangers, Fire Chief Brad Ventura cautioned against venturing into the burn zone, where the risk remains high. He noted instances of individuals being injured by collapsing telephone poles.
Residents who fled a deadly Maui wildfire, which claimed 55 lives, are questioning why Hawaii’s emergency sirens didn’t alert them as flames rapidly approached their homes. Official records show that the warning system failed to trigger before the wildfire devastated the historic town of Lahaina.
Despite Hawaii’s claim of having the world’s largest outdoor public safety warning system, with about 400 sirens across the island chain, many survivors report not hearing any alerts. Some only became aware of the danger when flames or explosions were evident.
President Biden has declared a major disaster on Maui amid the devastating wildfires. Traveling in Utah on Thursday, he pledged that the federal response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately”. Mr. Biden promised to streamline requests for assistance and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency personnel” on the island.
Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura has said the fire moved so quickly from brush to neighborhood that it was impossible for to get messages to the emergency management agencies responsible for emergency alerts.
This wildfire now stands as the deadliest natural catastrophe in Hawaii since a 1960 tsunami claimed 61 lives on the Big Island. Governor Josh Green expressed anticipation of rising deaths as search and rescue operations persist during a press conference on Thursday.
The report highlighted West Maui’s high concentration of multi-unit housing residents, a notable rate of households without vehicles, and the highest proportion of non-English speakers. The plan emphasized that these factors might limit the population’s ability to swiftly comprehend and respond to hazardous situations.
The efficacy of Maui’s firefighting endeavors may have also been hampered by limited personnel, as Bobby Lee, President of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, suggested. With a maximum of 65 firefighters available at any given time in Maui County, their responsibilities extend across three islands — Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.
(With inputs from agencies)
