wildfire in five years, which injured dozens.Įntire blocks of homes, businesses and a 200-year-old church were destroyed or damaged in Lahaina Town. Rescue crews searched for survivors Thursday amid the devastation left behind in Maui by the deadliest U.S. There is still potential for “rapid fire behavior” with the weather and told people to remain out of the area. Later in the day, Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura said none of the fires are “100% contained right now,” and there are several small fires in between the large fires. There was no assessment yet about the fire in the mountainous 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. “If you have additional space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from West Maui, please do,” Green said. He said the state is initially seeking 2,000 rooms for people displaced in the fires. He pleaded with local hotels and others to come forward and help with the unprecedented need for temporary housing for people in need. He said that footage from the fires will be released late Thursday. “It’s a profound change of landscape,” Green said of the massive fire damage to the area. “Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” the governor said.Īt an afternoon press briefing, Green said damage to the area is in the billions of dollars and that it will take years to bring about repair. Roughly 1,000 people remain missing, according to Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier.īut some fires are still burning in Lahaina and surrounding areas.
Green also said "maybe upwards of 1,700 buildings'' were destroyed by the fires, which now appear to be mostly under control.
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 death count continues to climb and parts of coastal communities have been largely destroyed, including the historic town of Lahaina. The toll will probably surpass 60 and make the disaster the deadliest since Hawaii became a state in 1959, Gov. MAUI, Hawaii − The number of fatalities from the catastrophic fires in Maui reached 55, officials confirmed Thursday. Watch Video: 'Oh my goodness!' Aerial footage shows Hawaii wildfire destruction.
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