3 more Lahaina fire victims identified; confirmed death toll remains 115
UPDATE: 5:25 p.m.
Maui County officials announced that three more of the 115 confirmed fatalities from the Lahaina wildfire have been identified.
The individuals, whose next of kin have been notified, are: Roxanne Ibara-Hinau, 68, and Rogelio Mabalot, 68, both of Lahaina, and George Hall III, 67, of Kahului.
The death toll remains 115 with hundreds still unaccounted for, authorities said.
Of the 115 confirmed fatalities: 38 have been identified and their families notified, while seven have been identified but their families have not been located or notified.
4:30 p.m.
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Hawaiian Electric crews officials said today that power has been restored too nearly all customers in the West Maui area and crews are working to bring electricity back to a remaining area in Upcountry that is still without service after Aug. 8 wildfires.
Crews completed repairs for a majority of customers in the Launiupoko to Olowalu area, officials said, and are working to restore power to 50 customers in Upcountry.
Over 400 Hawaiian Electric employees and contractors from Hawaii Island, Lanai, Molokai and Oahu are on Maui to help with restoration work, officials said.
2 p.m.
Maui’s Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing in Kahului will be open on Saturday to assist customers having difficulty visiting offices during normal weekday hours.
Appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Saturday at the service center at 110 Alaihi St. and are reserved for individuals completing a single transaction for themselves at mauicounty.gov/1328/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing.
Walk-ins will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for those affected by the Maui wildfires,
For more information, contact the DMVL call center at 808-270-7363.
Also, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono are holding a federal resource fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lahaina Civic Center Gymnasium, 1840 Honoapiilani Highway.
Both will be on site, along with a collection of federal agencies including the Social Security Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and others, to help constituents who have lost personal documents in the fires.
A shuttle service will transport evacuees staying in Red Cross shelter hotels to the resource fair, starting at 10 a.m. The shuttle will service the Honua Kai, Royal Lahaina, KBH, Westin Maui Kaanapali, and the Hyatt Hotel Kaanapali.
9:15 a.m.
The state Department of Labor & Industrial Relations today announced the availability of a disaster recovery jobs portal for Maui to help those impacted by the wildfires.
The portal at disasterrecovery.hirenethawaii.com posts all currently available jobs on Maui as maintained by the DLIR.
Job seekers will need to be registered with HireNet Hawaii to post resumes. Employers will need to be registered in HireNet Hawaii to perform candidate searches.
“Activating the Disaster Recovery Jobs Portal is part of our effort to connect job seekers and employers as Maui recovers from this tragic event,” said DLIR Director Jade T. Butay in a news release. “Connecting workers and employers is critical to supporting our local economy and speeding recovery to alleviate the suffering of our people right now.”
Staff members are providing in-person services at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the University of Hawaii Maui College. Workforce services are also available at the American Job Center at 110 Alaihi St., Suite 209, in Kahului.
8 a.m.
FEMA is opening a Disaster Recovery Center today in Upcountry Maui so residents affected by the wildfires can learn about local, state and federal assistance programs.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said affected residents are not required to visit the Disaster Recovery Center to register for FEMA assistance, but the center is available for those who would like to speak to a FEMA specialist in person.
Specialists from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes, will also be at the center. For more information, visit SBA’s Hawaii wildfires web page.
The Upcountry Maui Disaster Recovery Center is at Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center (Lower Multi-Purpose Room), 91 Pukalani St. Makawao.
It is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Disaster Recovery Center specialists can answer questions about assistance programs as well as clarify next steps and give helpful information.
Other ways to register for FEMA assistance include DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA mobile app, or the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
With just 5% of the Lahaina burn area left to search for victims and a new official list of those still unaccounted for after the Aug. 8 fires, officials hope to get a clearer picture of the full extent of the casualties caused by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century.
Maui County released a validated list of the names of 388 people who have been reported unaccounted for on Thursday night. See the list here or go to www.mauinuistrong.info/unaccountedfor.
The Maui Police Department is asking for the public’s help in providing information on anyone on this list who can be accounted for. MPD said anyone who recognizes a name on the list and knows the person to be safe, or who has additional information about the person that may help locate them, should contact the FBI at (808) 566-4300 or HN-COMMAND-POST@ic.fbi.gov immediately.
Also Thursday, MPD released the identities of eight more victims of the Lahaina wildfire, but the total number of confirmed fatalities remains at 115. The eight victims, all of Lahaina, are: Todd Nakamura, 61; Bernard Portabes, 75; Tony Takafua, 7; Salote Tone, 39; Faaoso Tone, 70; Maluifonua Tone, 73; Bette Jo Dyckman, 73; and Rebecca Rans, 57.
Of the 115 confirmed fatalities, 35 have been identified and their families notified, while 11 have been identified but their families have not been located or notified, MPD said this afternoon.
Gov. Josh Green said Thursday that 95% of the Lahaina burn area has been search and the remaining 5% are harder-to-search, multi-story damaged or destroyed buildings.
Meanwhile, relief efforts continue throughout Maui.
This weekend, state officials will host an Insurance and Banking Assistance Center for people affected by the wildfires. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Insurance Division and the Division of Financial Institutions event will include representatives from the Insurance Division, insurance companies and financial institutions to provide in-person guidance and assistance.
The Center will be held this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Whalers Village Parking Lot, 2435 Kaanapali Parkway.
Participants at the Insurance and Bank Assistance Center will include Allstate, Crum & Forster, DB Insurance, DTRIC Insurance, First Hawaiian Bank, First Insurance, GEICO, Island Insurance, John Mullen & Co., Liberty Mutual, Progressive, RLI Corp, Sedgwick, State Farm Insurance, and Zephyr Insurance.
For the latest Maui County update on the wildfires, relief and shelter opportunities, and other important information, click here.