Death toll rises; warning system questioned

Maui fire crews battled blazes still scorching parts of the island Friday and rescue workers searched for about 1,000 people reported missing as questions began to swirl about Hawaii’s emergency warning system.

The death toll from the inferno that erupted Tuesday − fueled by winds from Hurricane Dora and exacerbated by overly dry vegetation from the ongoing drought − was at least 55. But it will probably surpass 60 and make the disaster the deadliest since Hawaii became a state in 1959, Gov. Josh Green said Thursday.

Thousands of people have been displaced, more than 1,700 structures have been destroyed, and the historic town of Lahaina was leveled. Green said the state is initially seeking 2,000 rooms for people and asked local hotels and others to help provide temporary housing for those in need.

“We are still in life-preservation mode. Search and rescue is still a primary concern,” said Adam Weintraub, a spokesperson for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Widespread power and cellular outages have complicated evacuation efforts, and some residents who escaped the flames questioned why Hawaii’s emergency warning systems didn’t alert them as the blazes approached. Weintraub told the Associated Press his department’s records don’t show that Maui’s warning sirens were trigged Tuesday.

“We got warned, but the wind was faster,” Leomana Turalde, a 36-year-old who runs a sunscreen company and has family who lived in Lahaina Town, told USA TODAY. “I found out on social media. But there was no real warning.”

Thomas Leonard, 70, told the Associated Press he didn’t know about the fire until he smelled smoke. The retired mailman from Lahaina tried to flee in his Jeep but abandoned his vehicle when nearby cars started to explode. He took refuge behind a seawall for hours before being rescued by firefighters.

None of the fires are 100% contained

Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura said none of the fires were “100% contained right now.” Ventura said there are several small fires in between the large fires burning in Lahaina, Pulehu and Upcountry.

Maui County reported the most damaging of the three blazes, the one in Lahaina on the western part of the island, was 80% contained by Thursday morning, and that another one in Pulehu in central Maui was at 70% containment. There was no assessment yet about the fire in the mountainous Upcountry.

Ventura said there is still potential for “rapid fire behavior” with the weather and told people to remain out of the area.

Wildfires were also still burning on the Big Island, but no injuries or destroyed homes had been reported, Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Maui wildfires death toll will likely continue to climb

Maui County reported at least 36 people had died in the Lahaina fire Wednesday evening. By Thursday, the total had reached 55, and it’s expected to continue rising as emergency workers reach parts of the island previously cut off by the fires and other obstructions.

President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a major disaster in Hawaii, making federal aid available to support state and local recovery efforts. Green estimated damage to the area will likely cost billions and take years to repair.

Green said the disaster will likely become the deadliest since Hawaii became a state in 1959. He referenced the 1960 tsunami that hit the Big Island, killing 61 people, and said: “This time it’s very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that, I’m afraid.”

The Maui fire is also the deadliest in the U.S. in five years. Not since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 and wiped out the town of Paradise, has a U.S. community endured such a tragedy.

Before and after photos show Hawaii wildfires damage

Satellite imagery and photos from the ground revealed the devastating damage wildfires have done to Maui landmarks, including Lahaina’s iconic banyan tree, Front Street and Waiola Church.