Title: Massive Wildfire in Maui Leaves Devastation and Death Toll Rises to 67
Date: [Insert Date]
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll in Maui rose to 67 on Friday as officials confirmed another 12 fatalities from a massive blaze that turned large swaths of a centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble.
Maui County officials said in an online statement that firefighters continued to battle the blaze, which was not yet fully contained. Meanwhile, residents of Lahaina were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.
Associated Press journalists witnessed the devastation, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island. The roosters known to roam Hawaii streets meandered through the ashes of what was left, including an eerie traffic jam of the charred remains of dozens of cars that didn’t make it out of the inferno.
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. Trampolines and children’s scooters mangled by the extreme heat.
“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 the state’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.
But many fire survivors said in interviews 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.
“There was no warning. There was absolutely none. Nobody came around. We didn’t see a fire truck or anybody,” said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home in the fire.
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.
Gov. Josh Green warned that the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. He also said that Lahaina residents would be allowed to return Friday to check on their property and that people would be able to get out, too, to get water and access other services. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.
“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.
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.
The most serious one swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left it a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched, and the stench of burning lingered.
The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to calculations by Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.
Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage family keepsakes from the ashes of their home. But all they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gilles’ father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet, and the watches they gifted each other for their wedding.
Their wedding rings were gone.
They described their fear as the strong wind whipped and the smoke and flames moved closer. But they said they were just happy that they and their two children made it out alive.
“It is what it is,” Gilles Gerling said. “Safety was the main concern. These are all material things.”
Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in Friday to assist the search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
The wildfire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.
Lahaina’s wildfire risk is well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.
The report also noted that West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.
“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan noted.
Maui’s firefighting efforts may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. There are a maximum of 65 firefighters working at any given time in the county, and they are responsible for three islands — Maui, Molokai, and Lanai — he said.
Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but the department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said. That means crews can’t attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas.
Lahaina resident Lana Vierra was eager to return even though she knows the home she raised five children in is no longer there.
“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace,” she said.
When she fled Tuesday, she thought it would be temporary. She spent Friday morning filling out FEMA assistance forms at a relative’s house in Haiku.
She was eager to see Lahaina but unsure how she would feel once there, thinking about the sheds in the back that housed family mementos.Massive Blaze in Maui Leaves 67 Dead and Historic Town in Ruins
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll in Maui rose to 67 on Friday as officials confirmed another 12 fatalities from a massive blaze that turned large swaths of a centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble.
Maui County officials said in an online statement that firefighters continued to battle the blaze, which was not yet fully contained. Meanwhile, residents of Lahaina were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.
Associated Press journalists witnessed the devastation, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island. The roosters known to roam Hawaii streets meandered through the ashes of what was left, including an eerie traffic jam of the charred remains of dozens of cars that didn’t make it out of the inferno.
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. Trampolines and children’s scooters mangled by the extreme heat.
“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 the state’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.
But many fire survivors said in interviews 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.
“There was no warning. There was absolutely none. Nobody came around. We didn’t see a fire truck or anybody,” said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home in the fire.
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.
Gov. Josh Green warned that the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. He also said that Lahaina residents would be allowed to return Friday to check on their property and that people would be able to get out, too, to get water and access other services. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.
“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.
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.
The most serious one swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left it a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched, and the stench of burning lingered.
The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to calculations by Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.
Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage family keepsakes from the ashes of their home. But all they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gilles’ father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet, and the watches they gifted each other for their wedding.
Their wedding rings were gone.
They described their fear as the strong wind whipped and the smoke and flames moved closer. But they said they were just happy that they and their two children made it out alive.
“It is what it is,” Gilles Gerling said. “Safety was the main concern. These are all material things.”
Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in Friday to assist the search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.
The wildfire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.
Lahaina’s wildfire risk is well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.
The report also noted that West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.
“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand, and take expedient action during hazard
What caused the death toll to climb to 67 in the Maui wildfire?
Title: Death Toll Climbs to 67 as Massive Wildfire Ravages Maui
Date: [Insert Date]
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll from a devastating wildfire in Maui has risen to 67, as rescue efforts continue amidst the destruction of a centuries-old town.
Maui County officials announced on Friday that the fire, which has not yet been fully contained, has caused extensive damage. In a statement, they confirmed that firefighters are still battling the blaze. Residents of Lahaina were finally allowed to return to their homes to assess the wreckage.
Journalists from the Associated Press witnessed the extent of the devastation, with nearly every building on Front Street reduced to rubble. The economic heart of the Maui community is now unrecognizable, with charred remains and ashen debris filling the streets. Cars that were unable to escape the flames now form a chilling wreck.
The aftermath of the fire paints a grim picture, with incinerated cars tangled among fallen telephone poles, burnt elevator shafts standing as haunting reminders of what once were apartment buildings, and pools filled with inky water. Trampolines and children’s scooters lay destroyed by the extreme heat.
Resident Kyle Scharnhorst described the rapidity of the fire, stating, “It hit so quick, it was incredible. It was like a war zone.”
This wildfire is the most deadly natural disaster in Maui in decades, surpassing even the 1960 tsunami that claimed 61 lives. Survivors of the fire expressed that they did not receive any warning before the flames reached their homes, with many not hearing any sirens or being alerted in time. Emergency management records show that officials relied on alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions, and radios, but widespread power and cellular outages hampered their reach.
Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue. He permitted Lahaina residents to return briefly on Friday to check on their properties and access essential services. However, authorities implemented a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday to ensure safety.
The fire was fueled by the dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane. At least three wildfires broke out on Maui this week, tearing through the island’s parched brush. The worst one, which struck Lahaina on Tuesday, left the town in ruins.
The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii’s history, following Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to Karen Clark & Company, a disaster and risk modeling firm.
While families like Summer and Gilles Gerling were able to escape with their lives, they suffered immeasurable losses. The couple managed to salvage a few sentimental items from their home, including a piggy bank, a jade bracelet, and wedding watches. However, their wedding rings were lost to the fire.
Rescue teams have brought in cadaver-sniffing dogs to aid in the search for the deceased, as the scale of the tragedy becomes increasingly apparent. This wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since 2018.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the residents affected by this devastating wildfire. Stay strong Maui. 🙏🏼🔥💔
Jake: This is such a tragedy. I can’t even imagine the pain and loss the residents must be feeling right now. Sending love and support to all those affected. Stay strong, Maui. 💔🙏🏼🌺
Sophia: My heart goes out to the residents of this historic Maui town. It’s devastating to see such destruction and loss. Sending thoughts and prayers, stay strong! 🌺🔥💔
Max: This is absolutely devastating. My heart breaks for the residents of this beautiful historic town. Sending love, strength, and support to everyone affected by this tragedy. Stay strong, Maui. 🙏🏼💔🌺
Sarah: My thoughts and prayers are with the residents of this historic Maui town. The destruction caused by this deadly wildfire is heart-wrenching. Stay strong, Maui. 💔🙏🏼
Daniel: Oh no, this is devastating news. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and loss the residents must be experiencing. Sending my love and support to Maui during this difficult time. Stay strong. 💔🙏🏼🔥