Death toll rises to 67 in Maui wildfire
Posted August 11, 2023 6:58 pm.
Last Updated August 11, 2023 7:12 pm.
Officials in the County of Maui have confirmed the wildfire death toll has risen to 67.
In an update posted online Friday, the county confirmed 12 additional fatalities as of 1 p.m. local time due to the active Lahaina fire.
“Thirty-six fatalities were confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Another 19 were confirmed Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023,” the county said, noting, “the Lahaina fire is not yet contained.”
Officials say firefighters continue to battle the blaze, which rendered large swaths of the centuries-old town of Lahaina into ashen rubble.
The update came as some residents of the community were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.
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Incinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles, charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings they once served, pools filled with charcoal-colored water, and trampolines and children’s scooters mangled by the extreme heat were what remained in many areas.
“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Lahaina resident Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his apartment complex’s damage in the morning. “It was like a war zone.”
The wildfires are Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted the development of the territory-wide emergency system that includes sirens, which are sounded monthly to test their readiness.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green also surveyed some of the damage Thursday, saying “It’s going to take a great deal of time to recover from this.”
What we saw today was likely the largest natural disaster in Hawai‘i state history. pic.twitter.com/63Wh77QEhY
— Governor Josh Green (@GovJoshGreenMD) August 11, 2023
“But we have the support from every level of government, especially given President Biden’s approval of our disaster declaration request today,” he wrote on social media.
“It will be a tremendous effort, but we will come together as a community and begin working toward rebuilding from this tragedy.”
Despite the magnitude of the destruction left behind, many survivors of the fire said in interviews with The Associated Press that they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.
Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations — but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.
Officials have previously said the death toll is expected to continue rising.
Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui this week, racing through parched brush covering the island.
