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Death toll from Hawaii wildfires will rise as search teams comb Lahaina wreckage, governor says

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Death toll from Hawaii wildfires will rise as search teams comb Lahaina wreckage, governor says


Days after a wildfire destroyed most of Lahaina, crews are going house to house in search of survivors or human remains. 

Robert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

The death toll from catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii is expected to rise significantly in the coming days as search teams make their way through the wreckage in the devastated town of Lahaina. 

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Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said search teams will likely find 10 to 20 bodies daily in an operation that is expected to last 10 days. Some 1,300 people are still missing, Green said. 

“There are more fatalities that will come,” Green told CBS in an interview that aired Monday. “The fire was so hot that what we find is the tragic finding that you would imagine. It’s hard to recognize anybody, but they’re able to determine if someone did perish.”

The wildfires have left at least 96 dead so far and caused $5.6 billion in damage in the worst natural disaster in state history and the deadliest blaze in the U.S. in more than a century.

Maui chief of police John Pelletier speaks about the Maui fire during a media conference in Kahului on Maui island, Hawaii, U.S., August 12, 2023. 

Mike Blake | Reuters

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Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said on Saturday that search dogs have only gone through 3% of the disaster area in the historic town of Lahaina so far.

Pelletier described the painstaking process of using rapid DNA tests to identify the delicate remains of those who perished in a blaze so hot that it melted metal. He called on families who have missing loved ones to take a DNA test so authorities can identify those who have died.

Pelletier said nobody knows the magnitude of the loss of life yet. The police chief said he understands the public wants information quickly, but authorities are focused on conducting the search correctly.

“There’s a word here called Pono, it means righteous — doing what’s right,” Pelletier said. “We’re going to do this, but we’re going to do it Pono because we’re going to do it the right way. We’re doing to do it with respect, we’re going to do it with Aloha, we’re going to do it with dignity.”

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Green said in a video statement on Sunday that 2,700 buildings were destroyed in Lahaina with an estimated value of $5.6 billion. He describe the blaze as a “fire hurricane” that moved a mile a minute with temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Green attributed the conditions that fanned the blaze to global warming. Hawaii was suffering from drought conditions in the run-up to the fire and was also hit with strong winds due in part to Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the islands.

Cars drive away from Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town several days ago, Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2023.

Marco Garcia | Reuters

Green said the blaze on Maui began late in the evening on Tuesday, with several fires occurring at the same time. One fire was deemed extinguished but it must not have been completely out, the governor said. Sixty-mile-per-hour winds with gusts up to 81 miles per hour then spread the blaze rapidly.

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“That’s what a fire hurricane is going to look [like] in the era of global warming,” Green told MSNBC in an interview Sunday. “And so we have to all do right now what we can to stop global warming and reverse it.”

“I want to warn the entire planet about this, all of America and all of the world,” Green said.

The Lahaina fire is 85% contained, the Upcountry fire is 60% contained and the Pulehu/Kihei fire is 100% contained, according to Maui County officials. The blaze in Maui is the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. since the 1918 Cloquet Fire in Minnesota that killed hundreds of people.

The water in Lahaina and many parts of Upper Kula is not safe to drink, authorities said. Bottled water should be used for all drinking, brushing teeth, ice making and food preparation.

A burnt cart is seen at the Ho’Onanea condominium complex, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. 

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Staff | Reuters

Authorities in Hawaii have faced criticism for not moving quickly enough to alert people about the catastrophic blaze. The Hawaii Emergency Services Administration confirmed on Friday that warning sirens were not activated during the blaze. Three other alert systems were activated, a spokesperson said, including mobile devices, radio and television, and Maui County’s opt-in alert system.

Green said he has ordered a comprehensive review led by the state attorney general of the decisions made in response to the wildfires. The governor said there was massive destruction of telecommunications equipment during the disaster.

“We’ll know soon whether or not they did enough to get those sirens going,” Green told MSNBC. “But there was massive destruction of telecommunications. Otherwise, we ourselves would have communicated with each other like we always do within seconds on our cell phones,” he said.

Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family’s home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023. 

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Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images

President Joe Biden declare a major disaster in Hawaii last week on Thursday. There are currently more than 400 personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the ground in Hawaii, Green said.

The governor said there are heavy metals and other toxins in the dust from the debris in Lahaina. He said the Environmental Protection Agency is helping to clear the toxic debris.

The Health and Human Services Department on Friday declared a public health emergency in Hawaii.



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Hawaii

Hawaii Fest 2025: Celebration for Bob Marley’s 80th Birthday to take place on Oahu

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Hawaii Fest 2025: Celebration for Bob Marley’s 80th Birthday to take place on Oahu


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A concert to celebrate Reggae legend Bob Marley’s 80th Birthday is slated for early 2025, it’s called “Hawaii Fest.”

It’s slated for Feb. 15 and 16 at Moanalua Gardens.

The two-day jampacked music fest have some big-name headliners in the Reggae, Hip-Hop and R&B genres, including Ja Rule, Ashanti, J Boog, and local artists Kolohe Kai, Natural Vibrations, Spawnbreezie, Ana Vee, and Kanaka Fyah.

Bob Marley’s sons Julian and Ky-Mani Marley and grandson YG Marley are also in the star-studded lineup.

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Ashanti and Natural Vibrations shared the news on their social media platforms earlier this month.

And organizer say there’s more than just music.

“We have Five-Star Michelin Chef David Hartwig. He will providing food, all food sources from local Hawaii farmers,” said Jonelle Layfield, one of the event organizers. “It’s incredible and never been done at concert before and we’ll have wellness tent IV’s, green juices, and merch all around.”

“We want it to be an immersive experience.”

As an ode to Hawaii and Moanalua Gardens’ unique history, the event organizers said some of Hawaii’s top halau hula will also be performing.

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Tickets are on sale now for Hawaii residents at www.hawaiifest.com.

Global ticket sales open this Friday.

More details are said to be released in the coming weeks.



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Injury concerns mount for Hawaii women’s basketball in easy win | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Injury concerns mount for Hawaii women’s basketball in easy win | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Brooklyn Rewers took her shot against Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions Nadiyah Byard during an NCAA Women’s basketball game on Monday, Dec. 16, at the SimpliFi Arena, Stan Sheriff Center.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Brooklyn Rewers took her shot against Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions Nadiyah Byard during an NCAA Women’s basketball game on Monday, Dec. 16, at the SimpliFi Arena, Stan Sheriff Center.

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Brooklyn Rewers scored a season-high 13 points off the bench and the Hawaii women’s basketball team didn’t need much offense in a 56-15 thumping of Arkansas-Pine Bluff tonight at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii (6-3) held the Golden Lions (2-7) to a program-record low in points for a Division I opponent, but the victory wasn’t all good news.

Senior guard Kelsie Imai and sophomore guard Jovi Lefotu both went down at a similar spot on the court in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game.

Imai was in tears grabbing at her right hip before she eventually got up and walked off under her own power.

Lefotu, who missed all of last season returning from a knee injury, went down just over two minutes later and had to be helped off the court walking very gingerly.

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UH was already playing without senior guard Daejah Phillips, who didn’t suit up and missed her first game of the season, and freshman Danijela Kujovic, who was on crutches and in a boot.

Senior guard Lily Wahinekapu added 11 points for UH and her 3-pointer was the only made shot out of a combined 23 attempts from both teams to start the game.

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Hawaii rebounded from consecutive losses to finish its opening homestand of the season 5-2.

UH will play in the San Diego Classic against Clemson on Friday and host San Diego State on Saturday to finish off its nonconference schedule.




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Blackstone Explores Sale of Grand Wailea Resort in Hawaii

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Blackstone Explores Sale of Grand Wailea Resort in Hawaii


Blackstone Inc. is exploring the sale of the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui, Hawaii, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The alternative asset manager is working with a broker, which is reaching out to potential buyers for the property, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential talks. No final decisions have been made and Blackstone could opt to keep the resort, which is branded as a Waldorf Astoria.



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