Editors’ Note: Please bookmark this page. This breaking news story will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

——

UPDATE: 10:15 p.m.

Maui Police Department said the number of confirmed fatalities from Tuesday’s massive wildfire that destroyed Lahaina has risen by three to 96.

The Lahaina disaster is the worst U.S. wildfire in over a century.

In addition to the high death toll, the firestorm has damaged or destroyed over 2,000 homes and left thousands of Maui residents homeless. There are also hundreds of people who are still unaccounted for five days after the Tuesday fire.

Gov. Josh Green and Maui County officials have repeatedly warned that they expect the toll to keep climbing as crews searching the rubble of thousands of Lahaina homes and businesses continue their grim work over the next week.

8:30 p.m.

Gov. Josh Green has issued the fifth Emergency Proclamation relating to the ongoing devastation created by the wildfires on Maui and in Hawaii counties.

The fifth proclamation suspends additional laws to facilitate emergency response, recovery, and rebuilding, a news release said. It confirms that health care facilities and professionals engaging in emergency response are immune from civil liability during the proclamation period, except for willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.

The proclamation also allows pharmacists to refill prescriptions for people directly affected by the wildfire emergency with up to a 30-day supply, even when the pharmacist is unable to obtain refill authorization from the prescriber, the release said. It also lifts a $10 million cap on expenditures from the Major Disaster Fund to respond to this emergency and discourages nonessential travel to West Maui to free up accommodations for displaced residents and emergency workers.

The fifth proclamation supersedes the Aug. 10 fourth proclamation and is effective through Aug. 31. 6:20 p.m.

A total of 19 homes have been confirmed destroyed in the Upcountry Maui wildfire that started Tuesday. Sixteen of the destroyed homes were in Kula and three in Olinda, county officials said.

Many other homes sustained damage and the total number of homes destroyed is not yet known because a wildfire remains active with 678 acres burned so far, they said in an evening update.

Maui Fire Department is using three helicopters, four engines, and two tankers to fight the blaze. “Hot spots in gulches and other hard-to-reach places, along with land divisions and fences, make this a difficult fire to contain,” county officials said.

The total of 19 destroyed Upcountry homes is up three from a day earlier.

5:45 p.m.

Maui County officials said, starting Monday, they will distribute access placards for West Maui to some residents and workers.

Placards will be issued to: West Maui residents and resort workers; first responders and medical personnel; utility workers; county workers; supply transport personnel; and volunteers.

Placards will be distributed at Keopuolani Park (enter via Wahinepio Avenue, exit via Kanaloa Avenue) and Napili Park between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. beginning Monday.

Residents must show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or state identification card with a West Maui address; identification cards without a street address will require an accompanying utility bill as proof of West Maui residency.

All workers must show proof of employment through a valid company-issued identification card, officials said

Volunteers will be granted 72-hour access passes. At the end of the 72 hours, a new placard must be obtained, they said.

“For questions regarding placards, please inquire with on-site personnel at the Keopulani and Napili Parks. Do not call dispatch via 911 or the non-emergency number; those lines need to remain open for emergencies and call for service,” a county news release said.

Beginning Tuesday at 5 p.m., no entrance into West Maui will be allowed without a placard.

Effective Monday, West Maui residents and resort workers will be allowed access to West Maui through Waihee, county officials said. All other placard holders must enter West Maui through Maalaea. The only exit from West Maui will be through Maalaea for all residents and placard holders.

4:30 p.m.

Hawaiian Telcom said it is making progress restoring phone and internet service to Maui customers disrupted by the wildfires.

Service has been restored to about 10,000 customers in Kula and Makawao, and to several cell sites in Hosmer Grove, the company said in a news release today.

Hawaiian Telcom continues to coordinate with county, state and federal officials to provide phone and community WiFi services on Maui. Telephone and WiFi internet service are now available at the shelter at the War Memorial Gym. Technicians also are working to add phone and WiFi service at the shelter at the Kihei Gym.

Customers in areas such as Lahaina, Napili, and Kaanapali can request to have calls to their Hawaiian Telcom landlines forwarded to another phone number free of charge. To do so, call 808-643-6284 (MAUI) or submit the request online at https://808ne.ws/4466H7J. The company is also working to pause billing charges for customers affected by the wildfires.

The company urges its Maui customers to keep non-essential calls to a minimum, and to text rather than call when possible.

“Avoid downed lines as they could be active electric lines that are dangerous to touch. Moving them could also hamper restoration efforts,” the company says. To report fallen utility poles or cables or to contact customer support, call 808-643-6111 or visit hawaiiantel.com/supportform.

Go to hawaiiantel.com/maui for more information about service disruptions, restoration updates and other information.

3:38 p.m.

Search and recovery efforts are ongoing as the death toll from Maui wildfires remains at 93.

“I will tell you this: As a physician, it is a harrowing sight in Maui when the providers and the police and this division, do come across scenes in houses and businesses, is very difficult for them, because they know ultimately that they will be sharing with their teams there are more fatalities,” Gov. Josh Green said in a recorded video message today. “I do expect the numbers to rise.”

Green thanked the public for their relief efforts and urged for monetary donations to purchase food and water on the island.

“People should continue to support this mission, especially through giving resources through the Hawaii Community Foundation or the other excellent allied agencies that are accepting monetary donations,” Green said. “At the moment, it’s difficult to accept food or water products unless they are shipped directly to Maui. Some of that coordinated effort is going on and we appreciate it in every way.”

3 p.m.

The Lahaina fire is 85% contained, the Upcountry/Kula fire is 60% contained and the Pulehu/Kihei fire is 100% contained, according to the latest update from Maui County officials.

The wildfire has burned an estimated 678 acres in Upcountry Maui with the help of three helicopters, four engines, two tankers and one on-site utility. Officials said fire hotspots in gulches and other areas that are hard to reach as well as land divisions and fences are making the fire difficult to contain.

The wildfire has burned an estimated 2,170 acres in Lahaina. The search and recovery efforts are continuing as five engines, three tankers and one ladder work to contain the blaze.

The Pulehu/Kihei wildfire is still 100% contained. One Chinook, one engine, three tankers, two dozers and two utilities are on-site. “When a fire is 100 percent contained, that does not mean it has been extinguished. It means that firefighters have it fully surrounded by a perimeter. Once a fire is declared ‘extinguished,’ then it’s over,” officials said in a statement.

The wildfire in Puukolii/Kaanapali was extinguished Saturday.

As of 2:30 p.m., the confirmed death toll stands at 93, according to the Maui Police Department.

In other developments:

ROAD ACCESS

>> Exit West Maui via Kahakuloa is closed to traffic. Access into West Maui via Maalaea is restricted for pre-approved supply and outreach services only.

>> Access is open into West Maui via Kahakuloa for West Maui residents and the exit of West Maui via Maalaea.

EMERGENCY SHELTERS

>> Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Pukalani

>> War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku

>> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kahului

>> Kings Cathedral Church, Kahului

>> Grace Bible Church, Kahului

>> South Maui Community Park Gymnasium, Kihei

>> Maui High School, Kahului (Closed today). People staying at Maui High School shelter were transported this morning to South Maui Community Park Gymnasium in Kihei.

WEST MAUI MEDICAL

Kaiser Permanente outpatient health and medical clinics will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Lahaina Gateway Center, Napili Park and Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center at the Lahaina Civic Center.

TRANSPORTATION

Daily shuttle service for Central Maui shelters to Central Maui shopping and medical locations opened today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER

Those who are seeking information about their missing loved ones can go to the Family Assistance Center, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at Kahului Community Center. The center opened Aug. 10 at the center, 275 Uhu St.

1:30 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric crews have restored power to more than 60% of Maui customers who have been without electricity since Tuesday. Crews continue today to work on restoring power to about 5,000 customers in Upcountry and West Maui.

Crews today are focusing their efforts to restore power to residents in Olowalu, Lahainaluna, and affected pockets of Kaanapali and Napili in West Maui. A mobile substation at the Lahainaluna substation was installed Saturday. “The mobile unit is expected to help restore power today to customers in the neighboring subdivision, which includes homes, schools and county water facilities,” according to a statement.

Crews are also repairing neighborhood circuits and individual service lines in Upcountry Maui. Crews completed the restoration of electricity to the Haleakala crater line, which Hawaiian Electric says is “another essential portion of the island’s system.”

“Because there has been a tremendous amount of damage to the system at the distribution and substation level – these are the parts of the system that deliver electricity to communities and neighborhood – the system is still fragile, and the restoration must be done carefully to, above all, ensure the safety of the public and our workers,” according to a news release.

1:06 p.m.

County of Maui officials responded on Instagram this afternoon, clarifying that Oprah was able to visit with Lahaina wildfire victims inside the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku after initial reports that she was turned away with an accompanying CBS news crew. “We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster. Her visit inside of the shelter today was truly heartwarming and we appreciate her understanding of our policy of having no camera crews or reporters accompanying dignitaries and celebrities in our emergency shelters.”

11:50 a.m.

Pope Francis acknowledged the tragedy on Maui during his Sunday address to people gathered at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, saying that he “desires to assure my prayers for the victims of the fires that devastated the island of Maui,” the Associated Press reported.

On Maui, faith leaders are focused on providing community and spiritual hope for congregants who lost homes and livelihoods. Some vowed to hold services today.

11:45 a.m.

Matson said the barge Columbia arrived this morning on Maui loaded with emergency response equipment and supplies for the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Hawaii Food Industry Association.

The company also said it chartered an extra barge to support the relief efforts.

The barge arrived at Kahului at 7 a.m., carrying 32 large generators, including two 30,000-pound units and one 84,000-pound trailer generator set, as well as four 40-foot containers of bottled water for FEMA. Also onboard are four generators provisioned by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and three 40-foot refrigerated containers – two containing perishable food and one filled with ice – sent by the HFIA.

Matson also delivers a diesel generator to provide extra support for refrigerated containers in its Kahului Terminal, and 30 chassis trailers to support anticipated additional cargo volumes on Maui, the company said in a news release.

Matson’s barge Haleakala arrived at Kahului on its normal schedule Friday morning, delivering 191 containers of goods, the company said.

Cargo operations at Maui’s Kahului Harbor continue uninterrupted and unaffected by the wildfires in other areas of the island and Matson’s twice weekly service to Maui continues as normal.

To expedite the relief supplies, the state Public Utilities Commission is allowing Matson to temporarily carry disaster response and relief goods and equipment between Honolulu and Maui, the company said.

It will maintain its normal schedule of barge arrivals at Kahului on Tuesdays and Fridays and operate special additional sailings as needed to support emergency response, the news release said. The company has already scheduled another extra Maui sailing next Sunday.

Nonprofit organizations needing assistance in getting relief goods to Maui are asked to apply for such assistance on the company’s website at Matson.com.

11:25 a.m.

Maui County officials says these services and resources are available today:

>> Lahaina Gateway Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for distribution of food, water and other supplies. A potable water tanker is at the location.

>> A free Central Maui shuttle will be available starting today for people who are staying at any of the county-listed Central Maui shelters, the County of Maui Department of Transportation announced today. Shelters include War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, King’s Cathedral in Kahului and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kahului. The on-demand shuttle will be available for same-day rides to most shopping destinations and medical facilities in Central Maui. The shuttle will be available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last pickup). Riders will be required to call Roberts Hawaii for reservations at (808) 871-4838. Mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, can be accommodated. Luggage and bags will be limited to what can be carried.

>> Donations of non-perishable food, bottled water and hygiene products are being accepted at a War Memorial Complex field off Kanaloa Avenue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. West Maui residents have requested coolers, slippers, underwear, flashlights and generators.

>> The American Red Cross emergency evacuation shelter at Maui High School in Kahului is being moved today to the South Maui Gymnasium in Kihei. All activities are canceled at Kihei Regional Park due to the gym being used as an emergency evacuation shelter as of 9 a.m.

>> With power being restored in some areas of West Maui, Ohana Fuels/Minit Stop on Keawe Street in Lahaina and Kahana Gateway Shell are open for gasoline.

9:15 a.m.

Oprah Winfrey arrived this morning with a CBS news crew to visit with survivors of the Lahaina wildfire who were staying at the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku. Winfrey and the news crew were turned away at the entrance because media are restricted from entering.

EARLIER COVERAGE

Search crews using cadaver-sniffing dogs today resume the grim task of finding victims of Tuesday’s firestorm that is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century, with 93 confirmed deaths so far and untold hundreds still unaccounted for.

Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference on Maui Saturday that the fatality number will “continue to rise. We want to brace people for that.”

Government officials still have not released an exact number of the missing or unaccounted for on Maui five days after Tuesday’s catastrophic inferno that incinerated most of Lahaina, and burned a large swath of Kula. A crowd-sourced community Googledoc, called the Maui Fires People Locator, still has many hundreds of people still listed as “not located” today.

Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center maps released yesterday show an estimated 2,207 structures — 86% of them residences — in Lahaina were damaged or destroyed in the wind-whipped inferno, with losses approaching $6 billion.

In the Upcountry fire, there were 544 “structures exposed” — with three buildings in Olinda and 16 in Kula destroyed — and 678 acres burned, according to officials.

Up to 4,500 people are in need of shelter, according to FEMA and the Pacific Disaster Center.

Speaking at the news conference Saturday in Wailuku, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said two of the victims have been identified, but their names were not released.

Officials said the recovered remains so far were mostly from outside of the building rubble, and mainly in burned-out cars. Witnesses have reported seeing numerous fire victims in their vehicles and on the streets, overtaken as they tried to flee from the flames and intense heat.

Pelletier said only 3% of the impacted areas had been covered by cadaver dogs from FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescue Teams, and that 12 more dogs were on their way to Maui to expedite the process of locating human remains. He also encouraged the family members of those who may have perished to submit a DNA sample to assist in identification.

An influx of National Guard and U.S. active-duty military members also are being sent to Maui. Brig. Gen. Steve Logan, commander of the Hawaii National Guard, was appointed by Green Saturday as dual-status commander. Normally, the National Guard and active-duty military operate under separate chains of command. Logan said at the news conference that there is “a vast array of active-duty forces that are ready to flow into the County of Maui” to support Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration

FEMA said it has deployed over 150 personnel, including search and rescue teams, with more on the way. More than a dozen federal agencies and departments have been mobilized to assist state, county, nonprofit and private-sector entities, including the Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In other developments:

>> Firefighting crews continue to battle flare ups in the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires.

>> Hawaiian Electric said Saturday evening that since Friday, service has been restored to about 5,500 customers in West Maui. Those customers include hotels, resorts and condominiums that had been without electricity since Tuesday along the Kaanapali Coast, the company said. Once power is fully restored to the resort area, state and Maui County officials will work with participating hotels and resorts to provide rooms for displaced residents who have been in shelters since the fire, according to a Hawaiian Electric news release.

>> Crews on Saturday also installed a mobile substation at the Lahainaluna substation, which is expected to help restore power Sunday to customers in the neighboring subdivision, which includes homes, three schools and county water facilities, the company said.