Maui fire: Hawaii wildfires death toll rises to 67 as emergency alert failures revealed – latest

The wildfire that hit parts of Maui this past week brought with it an unprecedented level of destruction and death.

But while this incident is uncommon, the state is no stranger to wildfires.

“Wildland fires are not unusual in Hawaii, there are occasional fires every year. This year’s fires, however, are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behaviour is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames,” Dr Thomas Smith, an associate professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science said in a statement.

Dr Smith says the fire’s speed and intensity was driven by the land which contained plenty of dry and combustible vegetation.

“Land abandonment is a factor that played a role in the intensity and speed of the fire,” Dr Smith said.

“It’s clear from satellite imagery and from those who know the area well that the rural land to the east of Lahaina was once intensely managed plantations, with irrigation ditches and terracing. The agricultural land would have been fire resistant, with a very low fuel load (flammable vegetation) and higher fuel moisture due to the irrigation.”

“Since most of this land has been abandoned, long grasses, shrubs and young trees had taken root, substantially increasing the amount of flammable vegetation surrounding the town,” he added.

“Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated,” Ms Sanchez wrote on Instagram on Friday. “The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen – even after much of the attention has subsided. Jeff and I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicating $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”

More details in our full story.

The death toll in the Hawaii fires has risen to 67 people, meaning the disaster on Maui has surpassed the deadliest disaster in recent state history, a 1961 tsunami that killed 61 people.

A Maui wildlife survivor has told how there are still “dead bodies in the water floating” following the devastating blazes that have killed at least 55 people.

Hawaiian residents are bracing for the death toll to climb higher with around 1,000 people still missing in the apocalyptic wildfires.

Kekoa Lansford told the BBC that his hometown of Lahaina, which was at the centre of the wildfires and saw 1,000 structures burn down, would take “years to fix” after the disaster.

The family of a Korean War veteran is desperately searching for him after they lost contact with him amid the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.

Authorities in fire-scorched Maui County have confirmed at least 55 fatalities, as the largest blaze, still raging in Lahaina, is now 80 per cent contained. More than 1,000 people are still unaccounted for in what is believed to be the deadliest disaster in the state’s history, Governor Josh Green said during a press conference on Thursday night, warning that the death toll is expected to climb.

State and federal agencies are scrambling to assist endangered residents and hundreds of families across the country have been unable to locate their loved ones due to cell phone service being down.

Kim Berly told The Independent that she is worried her 79-year-old father Maurice Buen, who lives on Wainee St in Lahaina, was caught in the fire. Ms Berly said she last spoke with Mr Buen on Sunday and is now clinging to hope that he made it out of the blaze.

An estimated 59 people died in wildfires that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui this week, Governor Josh Green told CNN on Friday.

Hawai’i governor Josh Green says he’s “never” seen a combination of disasters like the recent, devastating fires in Maui.

“One can safely say we do have wildfires every year but we’ve always been able to contain them,” he told CNN on Friday. “Whether the variables are different this time or not, I’ve been in Hawaii for 23 years, but I have never seen the convergence of a fire, a hurricane, and gale force winds at the same time near one of our towns.”

A report from The New York Times estimated that around 1,1900 structures in Lahaina on the island of Maui were “visibly damaged or destroyed” by the wildfires.

The estimate is a massive increase from the roughly 700 structures that were previously thought to be burned in the fires.

Portable mobile hotspots have arrived in Maui to restore Internet service and help victims of the devastating wildfire call for help.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green told reporters on Thursday that with communication systems destroyed in the fires, many of those unaccounted for had been unable to confirm they were safe.

“Here’s the challenge: there’s no power, no internet, no phone, no radio. You compound some of that. So when we’re speaking to our officers, we need them to get a sat phone,” he said.

“There’s around 1,000 missing. It doesn’t mean that many have passed – I’m not saying that at all – but because we can’t contact them we can’t know.”

Verizon told CNN that its teams on Thursday had deployed a first batch of satellite-based mobile hotspots at evacuation sites on Maui.

The company was also barging heavier equipment from Honolulu, including mobile equipment on wheels that connect to a carrier’s service via satellite. It was also moving a satellite trailer that provides service to cell sites with damaged fibre connections.

“Our team is closely monitoring the situation on the ground and our network performance,” a Verizon spokesperson told CNN.

“Verizon engineers on the island are working to restore service in impacted areas as quickly and safely as possible.”

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has said: “Non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time. Visitors currently on Maui for non-essential travel reasons are being asked to leave the island as rescue and recovery efforts continue.”

The HTA added: “Currently, travel is still welcomed to the island of Hawaii. Visitors are encouraged to contact their hotel accommodations provider and airlines for updates that could affect their stay on island.”