Scores more could be found dead, governor warns

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP):

Hawaii’s governor warned that scores more people could be found dead following the Maui wildfires, as search crews go street by street through neighbourhoods where the flames galloped as fast as a mile a minute across the island.

The blazes that consumed most of the historic town of Lahaina are already the deadliest in the US in more than a century, with a death toll of at least 96.

“We are prepared for many tragic stories,” Governor Josh Green told ‘CBS Mornings’ in a recorded interview that was aired on Monday. “They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.”

As cell-phone service has slowly been restored, the number of people missing dropped to about 1,300 from over 2,000, Green said.

Right now, they’re going street by street, block by block between cars, and soon they’ll start to enter buildings,” Jeff Hickman, director of public affairs for the Hawaii Department of Defense, said on Monday on NBC’s ‘Today’.

Green said on Sunday that 500 hotels rooms will be made available for locals who have been displaced. An additional 500 rooms will be set aside for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who are aiding in the recovery.

In addition, FEMA has started to provide US$700 to displaced residents to cover the cost of food, water, first-aid and medical supplies, agency administrator Deanne Criswell said on Monday. The money is in addition to whatever amount residents qualify for to cover the loss of homes and personal property.

“We’re not taking anything off the table, and we’re going to be very creative in how we use our authorities to help build communities and help people find a place to stay for the longer term,” Criswell said.

The Biden administration is seeking US$12 billion in additional money for the government’s disaster relief fund as part of its supplemental funding request to Congress.

The blaze that swept into centuries-old Lahaina nearly a week ago destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000. That fire has been 85 per cent contained, according to the county. Another blaze known as the Upcountry fire has been 60 per cent contained, officials said.

“There’s very little left there,” Green said of Lahaina in a video update on Sunday, adding that “an estimated value of US$5.6 billion has gone away”.

Poisonous fumes

Even where the fire has retreated, the authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. And many people simply have no home to return to. The authorities plan to house them in hotels and vacation rentals.

Many people have gathered at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which has been serving as a shelter. Among the visitors was Oprah Winfrey, who told Hawaii News Now that she has delivered personal hygiene products, towels and water in recent days.

Winfrey, a part-time Maui resident, warned that news crews will eventually depart from the destruction, and the world will move on. But she said that “we’re all still going to be here trying to figure out what is the best way to rebuild … I will be here for the long haul, doing what I can”.

The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, and Green said the authorities would also examine their response. One fire, for instance, was thought to be out but later flared again. Before the blaze engulfed Lahaina, Maui County officials also failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population, and instead relied on social media posts.

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the flames on Maui raced through parched brush. One fire moved as fast as a mile (1.6 kilometers) every minute, according to Green.