Death toll in the Maui: The death toll from the Maui wildfire continues to rise as search crews and their cadaver dogs comb through the wreckage of charred structures that once housed vibrant communities on the island, including the gorgeous town of Lahaina.
As of Saturday night, at least 89 people had died in the flames, according to Gov. Josh Green, and the death toll is anticipated to rise. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the fire is now the worst in the United States in more than a century.
Firefighters have made some headway in putting out the blazes that have destroyed entire villages, but officials warn that they do not know how many people are still missing after wildfires ripped through neighbourhoods in western Maui earlier this week.
People in Kaanapali were evacuated Friday night after a fire was discovered in the neighbourhood, which is about 4 miles north of hard-hit Lahaina, according to Maui police. According to county officials, the fire was eventually completely extinguished.
The tragic fire in Lahaina, one of the three main wildfires that crews have been battling, was 85% contained Friday afternoon, Maui County officials said, up from 80% the day before.
The Pulehu fire, located further east in Kihei, was 80% contained on Friday, up from 70% on Thursday, officials said. Officials stated on Friday that a third fire in Maui’s central Upcountry highlands was 50% contained.
According to an updated damage assessment from the Pacific Disaster Centre and FEMA on Saturday, Maui County faced $5.52 billion in “capital exposure,” which is the projected cost to reconstruct following damage from the Lahaina Fire.
A total of 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire.
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