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Officials say the wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug.
8 have become the deadliest natural disaster in state history.

The blazes spread rapidly due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought
combined with powerful winds. Much of the historic town of Lahaina has been
"destroyed," officials said, and the inferno has burned thousands of residential
and commercial buildings to the ground.

Dozens of people have been confirmed dead, with even more missing.

SLIDESHOW: Extreme Weather Photos 2023


 


LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Aug 17, 1:44 AM


111 CONFIRMED DEAD; FIRES CHIEF WARNS RESIDENTS TO STAY VIGILANT WITH FIRES
STILL BURNING

At least 111 people have died since the wildfires broke out on Maui on Aug. 8,
the Maui Police Department confirmed with a “heavy heart” on Wednesday night.




Three more individuals have been identified, bringing the total to nine. The
families of five of the victims have been notified, but the families of four of
the identified victims have not been located or notified.

“MPD and assisting partners have been working tirelessly to ensure that proper
protocols are followed while notifying the families of the victims involved,”
the police department shared in a post on the Maui County website Wednesday.
“Our priority is to handle this situation with the utmost sensitivity and
respect for those who are grieving.”




With fires still burning, at Wednesday afternoon’s news conference, Maui County
Fire Chief Brad Ventura and teams spread thin, he asked the public to “remain
vigilant” if the winds pick up.



At the same news conference, Maui Mayor Richard Bisson shared an update on how
community members are coming together to help each other.

"We've had 682 volunteers – community volunteers; not Red Cross, not FEMA, but
our own citizens who have been working at War Memorial Gymnasium shelter,” he
said.

– ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

 
Aug 16, 7:56 PM


DEATH TOLL INCREASES TO 110, 38% OF IMPACT ZONE SEARCHED: GOVERNOR

The death toll from the fires is now at 110, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told
reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

The governor said more personnel and resources, including 10 extra cadaver dogs,
have been deployed to the affected areas. Roughly 38% of the impact zone has
been searched, he said.

Green said roughly 2,000 Maui Electric Company customers are still without power
and cautioned that it could take a long time for restoration.



-ABC News' Jenna Harrison

 
Aug 16, 6:27 PM


PORTABLE MORGUE UNITS HELPING IDENTIFY VICTIMS, FEMA SAYS

Portable morgue units are helping identify victims of the wildfire and process
their remains, FEMA officials told reporters Wednesday.

The first units arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday and consist of exam tables, X-ray
units and lab equipment.

The death toll remains at 106 people, with 35% of the disaster zone searched,
Maui County and state officials said in an update.

As of 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, 35 autopsies had been completed and seven
victims identified -- up from five on Tuesday -- county officials said.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Jennifer Watts

 
Aug 16, 6:07 PM


SOUTH KOREA DONATES $2 MILLION IN AID TO HAWAII

South Korea has donated $2 million to Hawaii in support of Maui fire relief,
officials said.

The Hawaii Community Foundation said the donation will help support the short-,
mid- and long-term recovery of Lahaina, including addressing medical needs and
helping families displaced by the fires.

 
Aug 16, 5:01 PM


1ST REPORTED FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DAMAGED POWER LINES

The first fire reported on Maui may have been caused by damaged power lines,
according to Bob Marshall, CEO of the power monitoring company Whisker Labs.




On Aug. 7 at 10:47 p.m., a security camera at the Maui Bird Conservation Center
captured a bright flash in the woods that, according to Jennifer Pribble, a
senior research coordinator at the conservation center, may have been a tree
falling on a power line. After that, the power went out, she said.

The fire was reported shortly after midnight, according to Maui County
officials.




According to Marshall, that bright flash seen on video was likely an explosion
from a power line fault, meaning the power line came into contact with something
like a tree or vegetation.

Marshall told ABC News that its sensors at Maui homes recorded a "very sharp
drop in electrical voltage" at precisely the same time the flash was seen on the
security video.

"The grid was incredibly stressed Monday night and throughout the day on
Tuesday," Marshall said. “It was trying to deal with the winds that it was
encountering. and what our network clearly documents is that there were 122
faults that occurred throughout that time period, any one of which could have
ignited a fire."

-ABC News' Emmanuelle Saliba

 
Aug 16, 2:28 PM


MAUI FACING 'VERY LONG AND HARD RECOVERY,' FEMA WARNS

Maui is facing a "very long and hard recovery," FEMA Administrator Deanne
Criswell said at Wednesday's White House briefing.




Criswell called the response a "very active and dynamic situation" with FEMA
search and rescue teams continuing to work closely with state officials to look
for those who are missing.

She said 30 specialists from the Department of Health and Human Services'
mortuary teams are in Maui and will soon be joined by a team from the Department
of Defense to help identify loved ones.




At least 40 canine search teams are also on the island, "in addition to hundreds
of search and rescue personnel, with more on the way," she said. "We're working
carefully to search the affected areas thoroughly and compassionately while
respecting all of the cultural sensitivities."

Criswell spoke to how difficult and lengthy this search operation will be for
the canines to endure the heat and maneuver through the fire debris.

"They have to deal with issues with their paws, walking through glass and
debris. And in these conditions, the dogs require frequent rest, which is why we
are sending in additional dogs to augment the operation," she said.

FEMA has given $2.3 million in assistance to families. She said there's
resources to pay for home repairs, cars and appliances, but only 1,300
households are registered with FEMA so far.




She urged residents to "register for assistance with FEMA, with either our staff
on the ground through our website at , or by calling 1-800- 621-3362."

Before the briefing, Criswell updated President Joe Biden on the recovery
efforts. Criswell said Biden spoke with Hawaii's governor again on Wednesday and
approved the state's request for 100% reimbursement for the emergency work
that's being done "for a period of 30 days within the first 120 days at the
governor's choosing."




Criswell said that when Biden visits Maui on Monday, "he's going to be able to
bring hope."

"He's going to speak with the governor and the state’s first lady, and talk to
survivors and hear their stories," Criswell said. "And it’s that level of hope
that I think is going to really be a positive impact for this community."

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

 
Aug 16, 11:55 AM


WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS

Over 100 people have died from the devastating wildfires on Maui. Officials have
warned that the death toll is expected to rise as they work to contain the
active blazes and assess the damage.

Click here to read what we know about some of the victims.



 
Aug 16, 11:21 AM


3,000 PETS MISSING FROM LAHAINA

Katie Shannon of the Maui Humane Society estimates that 3,000 pets are missing
from wildfire-ravaged Lahaina.

So far, the Maui Humane Society has received 52 injured animals, including some
suffering from smoke inhalation and some with burns, Shannon told ABC News.





"We have also seen severe burns -- cats that look, I don't think that their
owner may even know that it is their cat because they look so burnt. Their ears
are burnt, their faces are burnt. It's just incredibly severe," Shannon said.




The Maui Humane Society is not only sending food and supplies to the hardest-hit
areas, but is also trying to reunite owners with their pets. A dog named Roman
was separated from his pet sitter during the fire when the sitter jumped into
the ocean and Roman refused to follow. Roman, who was missing for a couple days,
was found by a good Samaritan, taken to the humane society and, thanks to his
microchip, was reunited with his owners.




"That is our goal -- to reunite every pet and owner, and also to provide the
lifesaving care that these pets need," Shannon said.




The Maui Humane Society is sending many of the animals it had on site before the
fires to the mainland to make room for the animals coming in from the Lahaina
area.



-ABC News' Will Carr and Timmy Truong

  
Aug 16, 9:10 AM


BIDENS TO VISIT WILDFIRE-RAVAGED MAUI

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui on Monday "to
meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local
officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires on the island," according to the
White House.

"In Maui, the President and First Lady will be welcomed by state and local
leaders to see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss
of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next
steps in the recovery effort," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
said in a statement on Wednesday. "The President continues to marshal a
whole-of-government response to the deadly Maui fires, and he has committed to
delivering everything that the people of Hawaii need from the federal government
as they recover from this disaster."

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

Click here to read the rest of the blog.




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Former President Barack Obama's home in Hawaii has been discussed on social
media in relation to the current wildfires in Maui, and how it has avoided
damage due to its location.

"Obama's estate was spared from the Maui fires because it's on Oahu," X,
formerly Twitter user James Surowiecki wrote.







Similarly, X user Bradley P. Moss wrote, "True, but mostly because their estate
is 116 miles away. In Oahu. Not in Maui," responding to a screenshot of a social
media post saying that the Obama's home has been "spared" by the Maui wildfires.



Earlier this month, several wildfires in Maui began spreading across the
Hawaiian island, causing widespread property damage, injuries and deaths.

On Tuesday, officials in Maui County provided an update on the current wildfires
stating that the Upcountry/Kula fire has grown to around 678 acres and is
currently 75 percent contained. The Lahaina fire is currently 85 percent
contained and has grown to 2,170 acres.



"The number of confirmed fatalities was 106, the Maui Police Department reported
Tuesday 8/15. Police identified two of them as Robert Dyckman, 74, of Lahaina
and Buddy Jantoc, 79, of Lahaina. Three others have been identified, with police
saying their names will be released when their families are notified," the
update said.

As the map below shows, Obama's home in Oahu is located on a separate Hawaiian
island from Maui, and according to Google, the two islands are over 100 miles
away from each other, separated by the Pacific Ocean.




According to Fox News, in 2015, the residence in Oahu was purchased by Obama's
friend Marty Nesbitt, who also serves as the chairman of the Obama Foundation.
BestofHawaii.com reported that the home was previously made popular by the show
"Magnum P.I."



On Monday, Obama responded to the fires in Maui in a video posted to X where he
said, "We know find ourselves mourning the lives that are lost and our thoughts
and prayers go out to the families that have lost so much."

Obama went on to urge his followers to help the victims of the Maui wildfires by
donating to the Hawaii Red Cross. "I'm asking you to do everything you can, to
generously support the Malama Maui effort. If all of us, the Ohana, pull
together, and do as much as we can to give back to an island and a town and
people who have given us so much, I'm absolutely confident that Lahaina and Maui
and those families are gonna be able to rebuild," Obama said.

Newsweek reached out to the Obama Foundation via email for comment.

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