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Maui conflagration becomes deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century

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VIDEO COURTESY AP
HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES VIA AP
                                This photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows burnt areas in Lahaina, Friday, Aug. 11, following a wildfire.
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HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES VIA AP

This photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows burnt areas in Lahaina, Friday, Aug. 11, following a wildfire.

COURTESY FEMA
                                Summary of Geospatial Damage Assessments near Lahaina.
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COURTESY FEMA

Summary of Geospatial Damage Assessments near Lahaina.

COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER
                                Map Assessing Damage in the Lahaina Fire
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COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER

Map Assessing Damage in the Lahaina Fire

COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER
                                Map Assessing Damage in the Kula Fire
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COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER

Map Assessing Damage in the Kula Fire

HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES VIA AP
                                This photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows burnt areas in Lahaina, Friday, Aug. 11, following a wildfire.
COURTESY FEMA
                                Summary of Geospatial Damage Assessments near Lahaina.
COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER
                                Map Assessing Damage in the Lahaina Fire
COURTESY PACIFIC DISASTER CENTER
                                Map Assessing Damage in the Kula Fire

Related Photo Gallery

New aerial photos document Maui devastation

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

——

UPDATE:

The number of confirmed fatalities has increased to 93, with two of them identified, Maui County reported this evening. No further details were reported.

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. The Pulehu-Kīhei fire was declared 100 percent contained today. The county said “containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been enclosed by a control line and reflects opportunities for the fire to spread beyond its original border into new areas.”

The one-acre fire reported Friday evening in Kaanapali above Puukolii was extinguished.

In other developments:

>> The American Red Cross emergency evacuation shelter at Maui High School in Kahului is being moved Sunday 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. Sunday.

>> Donations of nonperishable 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. Sunday. West Maui residents have requested coolers, slippers, underwear, flashlights and generators.

>> 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.

10 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric said this 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.

In other developments:

>> A free Central Maui shuttle will be available starting Sunday for people who are staying at the county-listed shelters at War Memorial Gym in Wailuku and King’s Cathedral and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both in Kahului. The on-demand shuttle will be available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for same-day rides to most shopping destinations and medical facilities in Central Maui. Riders must 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.

>> Two donated Wi-Fi trucks are stationed at Napili Park and Honokowai Park to provide service and the ability to charge cellphones. The service is free to the public.

>> Starting Sunday, Kaiser Permanente’s Mobile Health Vehicle will provide first aid at the Lahaina Gateway to members and nonmembers at no cost and no appointment necessary. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

>> Lahaina Gateway Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for distribution of food, water and other supplies. A potable water tanker has been stationed at the location. Napili Plaza is also distributing food, water and other supplies.

5:10 p.m.

The wildfire that swept through Lahaina Tuesday has killed at least 89 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century.

Gov. Josh Green updated the total, which was up from 80 Friday night, at a news conference from Maui. Green said that he expects the total to “continue to rise.”

The newly released figure surpassed the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.

At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Maui’s Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry.

The new death toll Saturday came as federal emergency workers with axes and cadaver dogs picked through the aftermath of the blaze, marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange X for an initial search and HR when they found human remains.

3:30 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric has suspended billing for about 18,000 customers in affected areas in West Maui and parts of Upcountry Maui.

The utility said customers with emails should have received a notice. It is working over the weekend to restore more power to those who lost it during the Maui fires.

2:30 p.m.

The Maui Police Department has reopened limited access to West Maui residents on Honoapiilani Highway through Waihee.

The highway is open for those leaving through Maalaea, but entering through Maalaea is limited to emergency operations, MPD said in a Facebook post.

“If your home or former home is in the affected area, you will not be allowed to do so until the affected area has been declared safe by Hazmat teams after the recovery has been completed,” the police department said in its post. “Once we have secured the affected area, we will open that area for travel. We are asking for the public’s assistance to please be patient and not rush to return.”

MPD said it will reopen affected areas in West Maui after it completes its search and rescue operations.

Honoapiilani Highway is open for vehicles leaving West Maui through Maalaea.

1:30 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric restored power to one of three main transmission lines serving West Maui, giving back service to about 3,700 customers in Napili, Puukolii, and Mahinahina.

The utility said it plans on bringing back more circuits online through the weekend, but that the work will be done carefully.

“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,” Hawaiian Electric said in a news release.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Transportation said it will be shutting down the Kahului Airport’s Runway 523 “to accommodate cargo operations, assisting in airlifting goods and necessities to Maui.”

The closure will not affect commercial flights but will impact the general aviation community. The DOT said it will prioritize commercial flights.

10 a.m.

FEMA officials said today the agency has deployed over 150 personnel, including search and rescue teams, with more on the way.

In addition, more than a dozen federal agencies and departments have been mobilized to assist state, county, nonprofit and private-sector entities.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is in Hawaii with U.S. Fire Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell and Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Guzman to meet with Gov. Josh Green and other officials to assess the damage, officials said.

On Friday, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccera declared a public health emergency in Hawaii, which allows health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

In addition to FEMA, personnel and assets from the Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and others, are assisting in the efforts on the Valley Isle.

FEMA officials provided the following updates today:

>> The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration activated the national disaster distress hotline. Professional counselors are available for anyone in Hawaii who may need it. They can be reached via call or text at 800-985-5990.

>> The SBA encourages homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits to apply for low interest disaster loans. Businesses can apply for up to $2 million for physical damage or economic injury. During her visit today, SBA Administrator Guzman will visit with local small business owners to discuss resources available to support their recovery.

>> The American Red Cross has mobilized volunteers who are focused on providing shelter, food and other necessities to survivors who are unable to return home, as well as helping with family reunification efforts. They are also deploying reunification teams in Maui and Oahu.

>> The Salvation Army is providing thousands of meals to individuals and families at the Maui County Pukalani Shelter.

>> The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has personnel on the ground supporting local officials with the assessment of the damaged infrastructure.

>> The National Guard has activated 134 troops — including 99 Army National Guard personnel and 35 Air National Guard personnel — to assist in the in the ongoing local and federal wildfire response efforts.

>> The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working on pet reunification and large-animal removal.

>> The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is working with Veteran Affairs hospital patients to ensure that they have enough supplies, like oxygen.

>> The U.S. Department of the Interior is coordinating with FEMA and other agencies to address the loss of the Lahaina Historic District and National Historic Landmark.

FEMA encourages Hawaii residents to register for federal assistance by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA App, or by calling 800-621-3362. Residents who use a relay service, such as video relay or captioned telephone service, can give the FEMA operator the number for that service. For more information on the Hawaii wildfires, visit fema.gov.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Pacific Disaster Center have released maps showing the extent of the damage and burned areas in Lahaina and Kula from Tuesday’s out-of-control wildfires.

Damage assessments related to the Lahaina Fire resulted in an estimated 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed; 2,719 structures exposed; and 2,170 acres burned, according to the PDC.

The center estimated that 86 percent of buildings in Lahaina exposed to the fire were residential.

As of late Friday, the death toll from the fire stood at 80 with government officials warning that the number will rise in the coming days as search crews comb through the destroyed structures.

Maui County officials, meanwhile, said early this morning that firefighters working to extinguish flare-ups and contain wildfires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui.

A Kaanapali fire that flared Friday night was reported to be 100 percent contained before 8:30 p.m. County officials said the fire is in the area where a county fueling station was positioned Friday to distribute an estimated 3,000 gallons of gas and 500 gallons of diesel for an estimated 400 vehicles that were lined up before the operation began. No fuel will be distributed today, they said.

A total of 1,418 people on Friday were in emergency shelters at War Memorial Gymnasium, Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Maui High School, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Maui Lani, Kings Cathedral Church and Grace Bible Church, the county said.

More cellphone services are becoming available in West Maui. “West Maui residents are encouraged to limit phone calls and video streaming services in order to free up bandwidth with telecommunication providers. Cellphone users are reminded to text, not talk, so everyone can share the limited resources,” officials said this morning.

In other updates from the county:

>> Police are restricting access into West Maui through both Maalaea and Waihee. Honoapiilani Highway is open for vehicles leaving Lahaina. The burned historic Lahaina town area remains barricaded, with people warned to stay out of the area due to hazards including toxic particles from smoldering areas. Wearing a mask and gloves is advised.

>> Volunteers are distributing food, water and other supplies at Napili Plaza.

>> Food, water, toiletries, canned goods, diapers, baby formula, clothing and pet food will be distributed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Lahaina Gateway Center.

>> Donations of non-perishable food, bottled water and hygiene items will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 pm. Saturday at the War Memorial Complex field in Wailuku. No clothing is being accepted.

>> A Family Assistance Center for family members who are looking for information about loved ones who are unaccounted for will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Sunday at Kahului Community Center.

>>The county Department of Transportation is coordinating buses to transport people staying at emergency shelters to the county Department of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, which will be open for special hours from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today so shelter occupants can have their driver’s licenses and state identification cards reissued. Fees will be waived. County are volunteering to work to open the department.

>> For organizations and individuals wishing to offer services or donations to aid in the county rescue and relief efforts, an online tool is available. Information can be provided at https://tinyurl.com/mauireliefsurvey to be used to help organize and deploy resources.

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