The death toll from a devastating wildfire that razed a historic town on Maui last week has exceeded 100, as search teams continue sifting through the ashes to find more victims.
Maui police said the official number of confirmed fatalities reached 106 as of Tuesday night, a jump from the last confirmed number of 99 deaths. The death toll is expected to increase by 10 to 20 victims per day as search efforts continue, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D).
Police said they have so far identified five of the victims. Lahaina residents Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, are confirmed to have been two of the five identified. Police said they will release the names of the other three victims after their families have been notified. Maui County urged family members to assist in the identification process by providing DNA samples.
The blaze that destroyed the western Maui town of Lahaina on Aug. 8 has officially become the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. The fire was whipped along by high winds from a hurricane to the south, and exacerbated by the drought the Hawaiian Islands have been experiencing ― leaving panicked residents to make split-second decisions on how to escape.
Green said Monday that the search effort will take time because rescuers are being careful not to disrupt the homes in Lahaina. The centuries-old town is more than just a tourist spot ― to Native Hawaiians, it was once the capital city of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
“So for those people who have walked into Lahaina because they really wanted to see, know that they are very likely walking on ‘iwi,’” the governor said, using the Hawaiian word for “bones.”
The Lahaina fire destroyed at least 2,200 buildings and burned over 2,100 acres. According to the county, the fire was 85% contained as of Tuesday night.
In addition to the blaze in Lahaina, Maui experienced two other fires last week: one in Upcountry, and one in Kihei. The Upcountry fire is 75% contained as of Tuesday night and is estimated to have destroyed nearly 700 acres. The Kihei fire is 100% contained, according to the county. There are no fatalities reported from those fires.
President Joe Biden signed a disaster declaration for Hawaii on Thursday, deploying nearly 500 federal personnel to Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed over 140 search-and-rescue team members to help local personnel in finding more victims.
On Wednesday, the White House said that Biden and the first lady will travel to Maui on Aug. 21 “to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials.” The president said earlier this week that he wants to ensure a visit to the island would not disrupt ongoing recovery efforts.