Hawaii

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

Published

1 year ago

August 14, 2023

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.

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

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.

“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.

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.

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

Site chosen for Battle of Hanapepe memorial on Kauai

Published

1 hour ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Site chosen for Battle of Hanapepe memorial on Kauai

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Plans for a memorial commemorating the 1924 Battle of Hanapepe, which was instrumental in shaping Hawaii’s labor rights, are moving forward on Kauai.

The state Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) has chosen Hanapepe Filipino Cemetery as the memorial site.

Just over a century ago, Filipino workers across the territory’s sugar plantations went on strike.

Workers had demands for higher pay, from one dollar to two dollars, and fewer working hours from 10 hours a day to eight hours.

On Sept. 8, 1924, a Visayan strike camp kidnapped two Ilocano strike breakers trying to cross the picket line.

Sheriffs and police tried to free the captured men the following day. However a deadly confrontation broke out, resulting in deaths of 16 Filipino strikers and four police officers, and over 100 arrests.

The strikers that were killed are buried in a mass grave at the Hanapepe Filipino Cemetery.

“Because of these plantation workers’ sacrifices, powerful unions exist today to advocate for worker’s rights,” said Gov. Josh Green.

The state says a memorial will be built at the front of the Hanapepe Filipino Cemetery, and will have two concrete columns with a gap in between symbolizing two sides of the conflict.

“The way they’re oriented is that no matter the time of day, there’s always a shadow cast,” said DAGS Kauai District Office program manager Eric Agena. “The shadow represents that dark chapter of labor history.”

The memorial is expected to be installed late next year.

“This is very important for us because it is going to allow us to honor those who lost their lives in this battle that was really about changing the future of labor in the state of Hawaii,” said DAGS director Keith Regan.

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Hawaii

Hawaii’s 35-foot waves could close roads

Published

9 hours ago

January 17, 2025

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Hawaii’s 35-foot waves could close roads

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists are warning that dangerous surf along Hawaii’s north- and west-facing shores will be strong enough to potentially cause road closures near the affected shores.

Why It Matters

Hawaii is a popular destination, and the NWS Honolulu office is warning tourists and residents alike to stay away from the shoreline along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and the north-facing shores of Maui. Surf as high as 35 feet is likely to surge and sweep across beaches, coastal benches and lava flows, impacting coastal properties and even infrastructure and roadways.

A stock photo of large, breaking waves. Hawaii surf is expected to reach up to 35 feet on January 17 at some shores.

joshuaraineyphotography/Getty

What To Know

A high surf warning was issued early Friday morning and will remain in place until Saturday morning.

The strong waves are caused by a large northwest swell that is expected to peak Friday afternoon and evening. In addition to the high surf, the swell will cause “powerful longshore and rip currents” at most beaches.

Harbor entrances could be impacted by large breaking waves and strong currents, the high-surf warning said, and channels also could be impacted, leading to challenging boat handling.

Surf will be highest for north-facing shores at 25 to 25 feet. West-facing shores are expecting surf of 18 to 22 feet.

The swell is originating from the northwest Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Japan. Swells are normal for the Aloha State this time of year, but the typical surf size is 18 feet, making the ongoing surf higher than normal.

A small craft advisory is also in place, warning boaters that sea conditions could be hazardous to small craft.

What People Are Saying

NWS meteorologist Derek Wroe told Newsweek: “There are some areas that are more vulnerable than others. Certain areas that the beach is a bit lower. If there’s a road that’s close to it, sometimes waves will surge, run up the beach and push onto the road. It’s not very unusual for us to get surf of this size in January.”

NWS Honolulu, in a high-surf warning: “Stay away from the shoreline along the affected coasts. Be prepared for road closures. Postpone entering or leaving channels affected by the high surf until the surf subsides.”

What Happens Next

The high-surf warning is expected to expire by 6 a.m. local time Saturday morning.

In addition to the high surf, rain showers are expected on Friday as a cold front pushes down the island chain, according to the NWS Honolulu forecast. Another cold front is expected by the middle of next week, increasing the chance of rain and thunderstorms.

Wroe said there are no significant swells on the horizon that could prompt a high surf warning in the coming week.

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