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The number of confirmed dead following devastating wildfires on Maui rose Monday to 99, but searchers and cadaver dogs have covered only around a quarter of the town of Lahaina, officials said.
That number is almost certain to rise, in what is being called the largest natural disaster in the history of Hawaii as a U.S. state.
What to know about the wildfires
- Cadaver dogs are helping search Maui's charred ruins for the missing, and the teams have covered at least 25% of the affected zone.
- Since the fire that devastated the town of Lahaina, 1 million pounds of food has been delivered.
- Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the damage was estimated at close to $6 billion. He said the fires were likely to be the largest natural disaster in the state’s history.
- NBC News teams are on the ground and reporting from Maui.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that “there has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years” and that Maui has faced challenges getting enough water to rural areas and to houses.
“We’re in the process of a comprehensive review that I’ve asked our attorney general to do, and there will be multiple reviews at every level to find out what the level of preparedness was,” Green said.
Officials expect to begin identifying those killed Tuesday, if their families have been notified.
Economic cost after Maui fires could trigger local recession, analysis says
The economic damage and cost from the Maui wildfires could be up to $7 billion, Moody’s Analytics said in an initial estimate released today.
The price tag was called “astronomical” in the analysis by Adam Kamins and Katie Nied.
“Losses may be more than enough to suggest a brief but severe local recession,” it says.
The initial estimate is between $3.5 billion to $7 billion in total economic cost, with most of that from losses, the analysis says. Up to $1 billion could be in lost output, it says.
Firefighters say battle was impossible after they ran out of water
MAALAEA HARBOR, Hawaii — The wind-fueled wildfire that swept into Lahaina “looked like Armageddon,” Maui firefighter Aina Kohler said.
“Everything happened so fast,” she said. “The winds were the highest I’ve ever felt on Maui, in my life or anywhere in my life. And everything just happened so fast.”
Part of what went wrong in the fire that erupted Tuesday and devastated the town of around 12,000 in West Maui was a lack of a crucial resource: Water.
“We ran out of water,” she said. “We’re on an island, with a limited supply. And that’s what we all talk about all the time, our limited resources.”
Hawaii governor says ‘multiple reviews’ will assess preparedness
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that “there has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years” and that Maui has faced challenges getting enough water to rural areas and to houses.
“We’re in the process of a comprehensive review that I’ve asked our attorney general to do, and there will be multiple reviews at every level to find out what the level of preparedness was,” Green said.
Questions have also been raised about why warning sirens did not sound.
Obama puts out call to make Red Cross donation
More than 50 animals have been rescued
The Maui Humane Society is sending all its dogs and cats to the mainland to make room for pets missing and scattered, an official said.
So far1, 12 of the 52 live animals that have been received since the fire Tuesday are hospitalized with injuries, the humane society's veterinary services director, Kelly Maguire, said at a news conference today.
An estimated 3,000 animals are missing, she said, and there have been many reports of animals in the outskirts of the fire area. Food and water are being placed out for them in the hope they can be trapped and saved, she said.
Officials have reunited eight animals with their owners, she said.
Shelters are being cleared to make room, Maguire said. The 150 cats and kittens that were in the shelter before the fire are being sent to the mainland, she said, and arrangements are being made for 115 dogs. The dogs are with foster families.
Identities of those killed to be released tomorrow
Tomorrow, police in Maui will start releasing the names of those killed in the wildfire that struck the Lahaina area if their families have been notified.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier today urged patience and respect, warning that if people trespass in burned areas they could be disturbing remains of the dead. One person was arrested for trespassing today, he said.
“I understand that people want numbers. It’s not a numbers game. Right now we’re at 99 souls and families,” Pelletier said.
As of today, 25% of the area has been searched, he said. Twenty dogs are working the area.
Most of the destroyed structures are residential
Around 86% of the more than 2,200 structures that were destroyed in the Maui wildfires are residential, Gov. Josh Green said today.
He said that housing for the displaced has been a priority and that people have taken survivors to their personal homes.
Green asked for patience from the people of the devastated town of Lahaina who want to return because cadaver dogs and searchers are looking for human remains.
“We know that it’s frustrating, but this pace will accelerate,” Green said, including reopening of the road.
Officials have said areas in the burn zone are toxic and dangerous.
Confirmed deaths in Maui rise to 99
The confirmed number of deaths in the Maui wildfires has risen to 99, Gov. Josh Green said today.
“In addition to that, the search goes on,” Green said.
The previous number of confirmed deaths had been 96.