Maui Wildfire Deadliest In Century As Deaths Near 100

KAHULUI (IANS) – The raging wildfire that swept through Lahaina town on the Hawaiian island of Maui this week has killed at least 93 people, making it the deadliest US fire in a century. The death toll surpassed 2018’s Camp Fire in California, which killed 86 people.

Maui County officials said early on August 14 that firefighting crews are continuing to extinguish flare-ups in the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires. In the Upcountry Maui fire, three structures in Olinda and 16 structures in Kula were destroyed, CBS News reported.

Earlier on August 12, Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll could rise “significantly” as forensic work continues to identify the victims, the BBC reported.

“It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced…We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding,” Green reportedly said as he toured the devastation site.

It is thought that more than 2,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed since the fires broke out. The majority of these were homes in the Lahaina area, the British news broadcaster reported.

Multiple media reports said that the Hawaii emergency management records do not indicate the warning sirens sounded before the fire hit the town.