Live Updates On The Maui Fires: A 'Deemed To Be Extinguished' Fire Flared Back To Life, Causing Tragedy

Gov. Josh Green said late Sunday that a Maui fire that authorities “deemed to be out” surged to life again last week, feeding the blaze that took at least 96 lives in this storied oceanside town.

Green stated in a video shared on social media that more than 2700 buildings in Lahaina were damaged, and a worth of $5.6 billion “has gone away.” He claimed that the death toll was expected to increase and that the search for human remains was still ongoing throughout the destroyed town.

Several fires started blazing on Maui on Tuesday, including the one in Lahaina.

Green added, “It must not have been completely extinguished,” adding that winds as high as 81 mph later exacerbated the flames. “All the pictures you will see will eventually be easy to understand with those kinds of winds and 1,000 degree temperatures,” the weatherman said.

The “ultimate reason” the death toll was so high, according to Green, was the “fire hurricane,” which he claimed was novel in the age of global warming.

Green promised that “together, we will rebuild.”

Hawaii churches offer prayers for the dead and missing as Maui rescue crews seek wreckage “full of our loved ones”: Updates

Developments:

Green said that 416 FEMA employees, including Administrator Deanne Criswell, are based in Hawaii. The governor reported that the agency had sent 20 dogs, as well as dozens of searchers, to help in the Lahaina area.

More than 500 hotel rooms have been reserved for those who were left without housing, and additional rooms have been made aside for security and fire personnel assisting at the scene, according to Green.

∎60% of the approximately 678-acre Upcountry/Kula fire was contained, according to a statement released late Sunday by Maui government officials. According to officials, the Lahaina fire, which may cover 2,170 acres, is 85% contained.

It’s heartbreaking: Maui locals depend on their neighbors for survival since they lack food and fuel.

On August 13, 2023, the Honoapiilani Highway, which passes through the center of Lahaina, Hawaii, offers views of burning vehicles and structures.
As they grieve the dead, survivors’ lives are in chaos.

The nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century tore through Maui last week, but Malia Waring’s home was spared. But because her family has passed away, she is unable to sit at home and miss them. Waring, 65, has been hanging out with friends at Napili Park, one of several crowdsourced aid hubs in the cherished, nearly destroyed area of Lahaina, ever since her cousin came to tell her that four members of their family, including her 8-year-old nephew, burned to death in their car while trying to escape the fire.

She stated on Sunday, “I’m very, very emotional. If I talk, I don’t know, I will cry.”

One of several locals dealing with widespread loss is Waring. Mental health experts are getting ready to fulfill the longer-term needs of a community that has barely had time to absorb and lament the loss of their loved ones, homes, businesses, and centuries-old cultural sites. This is in addition to the community’s efforts to meet people’s urgent physical needs. Click here to read more.

There may not be enough time to mourn the deaths on Maui, leaving many survivors scarred.

‘The Rock’ Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson experienced personal fires. Johnson, who is of Samoan origin and spent a portion of his boyhood in Hawaii, is “completely heartbroken” over the spread of the Maui wildfires. In a video uploaded to Instagram, Johnson claimed that he is in touch with Maui relief organizations including The Hawaii Community Foundation about the best methods to assist.

Johnson said in a video broadcast on Instagram on Sunday: “I know that, by now, all of you across the world have seen the full wreckage and devastation that has hit our Hawaiian islands — our island of Maui — and I’m completely saddened about this and I know all of you are too.
Naledi Ushe.

According to a lawsuit, electrical providers started wildfires.
Hawaiian Electric is being sued on behalf of victims and survivors in a class action lawsuit since authorities have not yet identified the cause of the Lahaina fire. According to the lawsuit, which was brought by LippSmith LLP and other legal firms, the fire was started by downed electrical lines that belonged to Hawaiian Electric Industries, Maui Electric, Hawaiian Electric, and Hawaii Electric Light as well as their parent corporation. The lawsuit, which USA TODAY obtained, further asserts that the utility companies “inexcusably kept their power lines energized during forecasted high fire danger conditions,” which ultimately resulted in “loss of life, serious injuries, destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses, displacement of thousands of people, and damage to many of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites.”

Jim Kelly, a spokesman for Hawaiian Electric, emphasized in an email that no reason had been identified and that the firm would assist investigators.

“Our immediate focus is on supporting emergency response efforts on Maui and restoring power for our customers and communities as quickly as possible,” Kelly stated.

As the fire progressed, some fire hydrants apparently ran dry.
Fire hydrants started to run dry, according to several firemen working to contain the Lahaina fire, the New York Times said. Water pressure decreased as the fire progressed, and some hydrants turned out to be “largely useless,” according to the Times.

Firefighter Keahi Ho told the Times that there just wasn’t any water in the hydrants.

A request for comment from USA TODAY was not immediately answered by the Maui Department of Water Supply. The agency’s head, John Stufflebean, issued a warning to residents of Lahaina not to drink water, even after boiling it, until further notice since the wildfires have damaged hundreds of pipelines.

High gusts that were caused by Hurricane Dora spinning offshore made it difficult for firefighters to attack the fire from the air.

After the Maui fire, donations are needed.
The Kako’o Maui Match Donation Fund was launched last week with assistance from the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and rapidly met its $1.5 million target. The council announced that donations are still being welcomed and that all revenues will go directly to relief operations. You may find information on how to give here.

Live Updates On The Maui Fires: A ‘Deemed To Be Extinguished’ Fire Flared Back To Life, Causing Tragedy

Gov. Josh Green said late Sunday that a Maui fire that authorities “deemed to be out” surged to life again last week, feeding the blaze that took at least 96 lives in this storied oceanside town.

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