Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Friday, December 13, 2024 78° Today's Paper


Top News

3 more victims — all seniors — identified, confirmed death toll at 111

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                A bicyclist rode through devastated Lahaina today carrying a religious message on a cross.
1/3
Swipe or click to see more

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

A bicyclist rode through devastated Lahaina today carrying a religious message on a cross.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                Firefighters clear debris in Kula, Tuesday, following wildfires that devastated parts of Maui. The search for victims resumes in Lahaina today as Maui firefighters continue to fight brushfires that still burn more than a week after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in modern history.
2/3
Swipe or click to see more

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Firefighters clear debris in Kula, Tuesday, following wildfires that devastated parts of Maui. The search for victims resumes in Lahaina today as Maui firefighters continue to fight brushfires that still burn more than a week after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in modern history.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                The Maui War Memorial serves as an evacuation center for residents displaced by the Aug. 8 wildfire tragedy.
3/3
Swipe or click to see more

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

The Maui War Memorial serves as an evacuation center for residents displaced by the Aug. 8 wildfire tragedy.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                A bicyclist rode through devastated Lahaina today carrying a religious message on a cross.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                Firefighters clear debris in Kula, Tuesday, following wildfires that devastated parts of Maui. The search for victims resumes in Lahaina today as Maui firefighters continue to fight brushfires that still burn more than a week after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in modern history.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                The Maui War Memorial serves as an evacuation center for residents displaced by the Aug. 8 wildfire tragedy.

Related Photo Gallery

Firefighters work to contain Kula fire

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

———

UPDATE: 9 p.m.

The Lahaina fire is now 89% contained, and more than 80% of the Hawaiian Electric customers who lost power because of the Maui wildfires have had their power restored.

The County of Maui updated its recovery and firefighting efforts on Maui this evening, noting that the Olinda fire is 85% contained and covered about 1,100 acres, and the Kula fire is 80% contained and burned 200 acres. The Lahaina fire has burned 2,170 acres.

The Pulehu and Kihei fire is still 100% contained, the county said.

Hawaiian Electric’s work to restore power to those affected by the fires has reached the Lahaina Civic Center. Work continues on infrastructure to support restoration in the West Maui area. About 2,000 West Maui customers and 60 Upcountry Maui customers are without electricity.

More than 400 employees with the utility are on Maui to bring power back to customers.

The death toll from the fire remains at 111.

6:30 p.m.

The Maui Police Department has added one more fatality to the Lahaina fire death toll and has released the names of three additional Lahaina residents who died during the fires last week.

The three individuals, all seniors, are: Virginia Dofa, 90, and Alfredo Galinato, 79, and Melva Benjamin, 71.

The total death toll from the fire is now up to 111, MPD said in a news release this evening.

3:04 p.m.

During a 1:30 p.m. press conference today, Gov. Josh Green announced that the confirmed death toll in the Maui wildfires has risen to 110.

Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya defended his experience and the decision not to activate sirens warning Maui residents about the wildfires that consumed the historic town of Lahaina last week.

Click here to watch.

1:05 p.m.

Verizon said it has restored network coverage in West Maui, bringing service to all areas covered before the wildfires. Customers will experience improved indoor and outdoor network coverage around Kaaanapali along Honoapiilani Highway from the Kapalua West Maui Airport to Kaaanapali Golf Course, the company said. Verizon also restored limited service along Honoapiilani Highway from Honolua Bay to Kapalua Golf Club.

12:15 p.m.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today it has opened a Disaster Recovery Center on Maui to assist wildfire survivors.

The center, located at the University of Hawaii Maui College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave. in Kahului, offers a one-stop-shop where federal, state and nonprofit partners can help people register in person for help and resources. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

FEMA officials this morning said the agency has approved more than $2.3 million in assistance to more than 1,300 applicants in Hawaii.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said from the White House on ABC News today at least 40 canine search teams will be deployed to Maui, in addition to hundreds of search and rescue personnel. A mobile morgue unit arrived Tuesday.

She said the teams would be working to carefully search affected areas thoroughly and compassionately, while also respecting cultural sensitivities.

“To the people of Hawaii, I promise you this: We will do everything we can to continue to help you rebuild on the island and the island that you call home,” she said. “Together with our state, federal, and volunteer partners we will continue to provide support to Hawaii for as long as is necessary.”

Maui County, meanwhile said the Lahaina fire as of 10 a.m was 85% contained, and impacted an estimated 2,170 acres.

The Upcountry and Kula fire is now about 75% contained, and impacted an estimated 678 acres. Hot spots remain in gulches, forests and other hard to reach places, county officials said, along with land divisions and fences, making establishment of complete control lines difficult.

The Pulehu/Kihei remains 100% contained, meaning firefighters have the blaze fully surrounded. The Kaanapali fire remains extinguished.

To register with FEMA, call 1-800-621-3362 or visit disasterassistance.gov or visit the Disaster Recovery Center.

In Lahaina, the Hawaii Department of Transportation is installing dust screens around the decimated town to reduce the spread of potentially hazardous materials. The measure comes after the opening of the Lahaina Bypass on Aug. 15 and is designed to protect highway users along the bypass and Honoapiilani Highway (Route 30).

Installation began with the digging of fence posts today and the process is expected to be completed within an month. The dust screens will remain in place until further notice.

11:32 a.m.

The Mexican foreign ministry said it has confirmed that two people of Mexican nationality died as a result of the wildfires, according to the AP. Personnel from the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco are on Maui and are in contact with the families of the deceased to provide assistance to them, the foreign ministry said in a statement. No details were immediately available, including whether the victims were tourists or among the many foreign workers in Lahaina. The consulate in San Francisco did not immediately respond to a request from the AP for details.

10:36 a.m.

Gov. Josh Green made an appearance early this morning on Good Morning America to discuss the disaster response to the Maui wildfires as search and recovery teams continue combing through Lahaina rubble for victims’ remains.

Click here to watch.

“Extremely high temperatures were traveling at 60 to 81 miles per hour, and it swept through, in some cases, melting metal and granite engine blocks. That’s how hot it was. So it’s a very delicate scene,” Green told Good Morning America.

He thanked the outpouring of support and patience as the confirmed death toll remains at 106. A mobile morgue unit arrived Tuesday as officials painstakingly work to identify the remains of those killed in the wildfires.

“But it’s, as you know, always a combination of both recovery, heartache and devastation and safety,” he said. “All those things happen at once and that’s why sometimes people can be frustrated. But, we appreciate everyone for their understanding of what we’re going through.”

EARLIER COVERAGE

The search for victims resumes in Lahaina today as Maui firefighters continue to fight brushfires that still burn more than a week after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in modern history.

As of this morning, the death toll stood at 106 with the county Tuesday evening releasing the first two names of identified victims from the Aug. 8 inferno. They were Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both of Lahaina.

Three other victims have been identified, and police said Tuesday that their names will be released when their families are notified.

Anyone looking for any unaccounted loved ones can provide DNA samples to assist in identification. Family members can go to the Family Assistance Center, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Kahului Community Center at 275 Uhu St.

The county, meanwhile, said firefighters have contained 75% of the Upcountry/Kula fire; 85% of the Lahaina fire; and 100% of the Pulehu/Kihei fire.

In other developments today:

>> Hawaiian Telcom said it is providing free community WiFi and phone service at three Maui shelters: War Memorial Gym in Wailuku, Kihei Gym and Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

“We understand connectivity is essential and our teams worked quickly and safely to provide needed phone and WiFi service in the community shelters,” Su Shin, president and general manager at Hawaiian Telcom, said in a news release. “Other teams are working in parallel, placing poles and new fiber in Lahaina to bring connectivity back to our central office, which will help to enable more cell phone service that people in this area so desperately need.”

Hawaiian Telcom said it is working with various wireless carriers to allow set up of their equipment on Hawaiian Telcom’s property in Lahaina to support restoration of cell service to the area.

Crews continue to work in Kula, removing fallen trees and placing new poles and fiber.The company is also waiving equipment charges and pausing billing charges for customers affected by the wildfires.

>> The Biden administration said it has deployed 25 additional experts from the National Disaster Medical System’s Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team and a Victim Identification Center Team to Hawaii to assist state and local mortuary resources on Maui. The deployment is through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The personnel from ASPR’s mortuary and victim identification teams bring the total number of deployed emergency response experts to 75, officials said.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.