www.msn.com Open in urlscan Pro
204.79.197.203  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

In one heartbreaking announcement after another, the loss of human life
continues to climb in the wake of the devastating inferno that swept through
Maui on August 8.

The fire claimed at least 111 lives as it raged burned though the historic town
of Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Maui officials said
Tuesday. That makes it one of the deadliest wildfires in history.

It is second only to a 1918 fire in Minnesota as the deadliest wildfire in the
United States since 1900. Even among the deadliest wildfires in world history
since 1900, on a list published by Statista, the Lahaina fire stands fifth.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

The island's death toll is expected to climb. As the grim search for victims
continues, Maui's police chief John Pelletier has pleaded with people to stay
out of the burned over areas in respect for the bodies of those who haven't yet
been recovered.





No one agency keeps track of the nation's deadliest wildfires. This unofficial
list comes from fact sheets published by the California Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, the U.S. Forest
Service and the National Weather Service.



At least thirty wildfires across the U.S. have claimed at least five lives since
1900.

 * 453 deaths – Cloquet, Minnesota, October 1918
 * More than 100 deaths so far – Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, August 2023
 * 86 deaths – Great Fire of 1910, Montana, Idaho
 * 85 deaths – Camp, California, November 2018
 * 38 deaths – Yacolt Burn, Washington, September 1902
 * 29 deaths – Griffith Park, California, October 1933
 * 25 deaths – Tunnel, Oakland Hills, California, October 1991
 * 22 deaths – Tubbs California, October 2017
 * 19 deaths – Yarnell Arizona, June 2013
 * 15 deaths – North Complex, California, August 2020
 * 15 deaths – Cedar California, October 2003
   
 * 15 deaths – Rattlesnake California, July 1953
 * 15 deaths – Blackwater Wyoming, August 1938
 * 14 deaths – South Canyon, Colorado, July 1994
 * 13 deaths – Mann Gulch, Helena Montana, August 1949
 * 12 deaths – Loop California, November 1966
 * 11 deaths – Hauser Creek California, October 1943
 * 11 deaths – Inaja California, November 1956
 * 10 deaths – Iron Alps Complex, California, August 2008

One other notable fire event in history was a series of fires across Maine in
1947. The fires claimed a total of 16 lives.

Three other deadly fires in the historic records occurred before the advent of
modern firefighting practices. In the Miramichi fire in 1825, 160 people died,
according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. In October 1871, more than
1,500 people died during the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin and an estimated 250
people died that same month in a series of fires in Michigan.


HOW MANY DEATHS IN MAUI FIRE?

The known death toll as of Thursday morning was 111 dead, but search teams had
only been through a portion of the area incinerated in the Lahaina wildfire.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has said the toll could exceed 200.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As death toll in Maui fire rises,
here's how it compares to the deadliest fires in the US




Continue reading


Sponsored Content

MORE FROM USA TODAY
Pence's 'Too honest' T-shirts, Trump's mug shot: Candidates turns memes into
merch to rake in cashAs Canada's 'unprecedented' wildfires rage, entire city of
Yellowknife forced to evacuate'You are in our sights': Black judge overseeing
Trump 2020 indictment gets racist death threat
Visit USA TODAY
TRENDING STORIES
 1. Red and Rover by Brian BassetGoComics
 2. Air evacuations are to begin for people in the path of wildfires in Canada’s
    Northwest TerritoriesThe Associated Press
 3. The 20 Best Hairstyles for Thin Hair, According to StylistsInstyle
 4. Pilot dies on LATAM Airlines flight from Miami after having medical
    emergencyUSA TODAY


MORE FOR YOU



BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — An out-of-control wildfire on the Spanish Canary island
of Tenerife has burned thousands of acres and affected nearly 8,000 people who
are either evacuated or confined, authorities said Thursday.

Regional President Fernando Clavijo said some 250 firefighters and members of
the Spanish army are tackling the blaze, located in the north of the island, a
key tourist destination. Clavijo said the fire had a nearly 30-kilometer-long
(19-mile) perimeter.

“This is probably the most complicated blaze we have had on the Canary Islands,
if not ever, then at least in the last 40 years,” Clavijo told reporters.
Extreme temperatures in the island, he said, added to “specific meteorological
conditions” caused by the fire that turned the area into a virtual oven.

The blaze, which started Tuesday night, is centered on a craggy, mountainous
area, which is difficult for emergency brigades to access. Spanish authorities
said their main goal is to contain the fire and prevent it from reaching more
populated areas. The island’s main town, Santa Cruz, is 20 kilometers (12 miles)
away from the flames.




The wildfire is threatening six municipalities. Some 7,600 residents in the area
have either been evacuated or ordered to stay indoors Thursday due to hazardous
air quality. Clavijo said firefighters were working day and night but the fire
remained “out of control.”




The seven-island archipelago is located off the northwest coast of Africa and
southwest of mainland Spain.



Tenerife is one of Spain’s tourist hotspots. Tenerife Tourism office stressed in
a statement Thursday afternoon that the main tourist areas and cities of the
island are away from the fire. Business continues as usual in accommodation
establishments, beaches and other tourist sites located in areas near the coast
and in the midlands, the office said.

Temperatures in the Canary Islands peaked at more than 40 degrees Celsius (104
degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days. Temperatures are set to rise again on
Saturday.

The fire could become Spain’s worst blaze so far this summer, as the country
suffers another year of severe drought.

More than 2,000 people were evacuated in a wildfire on the nearby La Palma
island last month that affected some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres).

Wildfires have burned almost 64,000 hectares (158,000 acres) in Spain in the
first seven months of the year, according to Spanish government data. That's the
third highest figure in the last decade.

Spain accounted for almost 40% of the nearly 800,00 hectares (2 million acres)
burned in the European Union in 2022, according to the European Forest Fire
Information System.






Sponsored Content

TRENDING STORIES
 1. Red and Rover by Brian BassetGoComics
 2. Single home at water's edge miraculously untouched by Maui wildfires – just
    like churchMetro
 3. Nancy Pelosi repeatedly urges White House audience to clap: 'That's an
    applause line'FOX News
 4. Air Force awards a start-up company $235 million to build an example of a
    sleek new planeThe Associated Press




MORE FOR YOU


 * © 2023 Microsoft

 * Your Privacy Choices
 * Privacy & Cookies
 * Terms of use
 * Advertise


Feedback