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California Woman Is The Only Tourist Confirmed Killed In Maui Wildfire So Far

There has not been a centralized effort to account for how many of the remaining missing people were visitors to Maui.

A 72-year-old woman from California has been confirmed to have died during the Lahaina wildfire, but most of the tourists who were in the area that day are believed to have been safely evacuated, officials say.

An estimated 15,000 tourists were in West Maui, which includes Lahaina, when the fire began spreading rapidly on Aug. 8, according to Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association.

She said the emergency operations center sent buses to evacuate guests from the Kaanapali and Kapalua areas, two other popular tourist destinations that sit north of Lahaina.

However, the number of visitors who may be among the hundreds of people who remain unaccounted for is unknown.

Paulson said her organization has not received any calls about missing tourists. The difficulty in determining any information on visitors is indicative of the ad hoc nature of the search and recovery process.

The death toll from the fire stood at 115 on Wednesday, but officials have struggled to confirm how many people are still missing. The FBI said Tuesday that it has compiled a list with about 1,100 names so far, but it was having problems verifying information and cautioned that number would fluctuate.

The responsibility for determining how many of those people may be tourists has been left to a patchwork of interested parties including friends and family, and consulates in the case of missing international visitors.

On Tuesday, Maui County confirmed that 72-year-old Theresa Cook, who was visiting the island from Pollock Pines, California, had died in the blaze.

Cook had been staying at the Best Western Pioneer Inn, which was built in 1901, and had planned to leave Lahaina the next day, according to a now-deleted Facebook post from her daughter that was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle . She fled the hotel on foot and was not heard from again.

The county did not respond to questions about how Cook was identified or who is in charge of tracking missing tourists.

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii is typically a resource for visitors in crisis. It provides services such as translation assistance, funeral arrangements and hotel accommodations. But President Jessica Lani Rich said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross have been responsible for tracking down missing people, including visitors.

The Red Cross regional communications director Mandy McMahon said the organization did not have information on the number of reunification requests made by nonresidents. FEMA did not respond to a request for comment on missing visitors.

Consulates can be a valuable intermediary for families of missing international visitors, but they’re not a cohesive source of information.

Mikio Izawa, deputy consulate-general of the Japanese Consulate, said he did not have any information on missing tourists at this time.

The Brazilian Consulate initially had a list of 16 people missing following the wildfires, but 14 have been found, honorary consul Eric Crispin said, adding that some connected with family while others were found in shelters or hotels.

For the remaining two missing Brazilians, the consulate will be “checking with the various agencies and various lists,” he said.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.

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California grandma is first tourist confirmed dead in Maui wildfires

A grandmother from California is the first tourist to have been identified as among the 115 confirmed victims in the Maui wildfires — dying just a day before she was due to fly home.

Theresa Cook, 72, of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County was among eight victims whom island officials identified on Tuesday.

She was staying at the Best Western Pioneer Inn and was last seen near the island’s famous banyan tree at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8, around the time the massive blaze overwhelmed the historic downtown area of Lahaina.

Cook was scheduled to fly home to Sacramento just a day later.

Neighbors told ABC 10 she had recently shared how she saved up money for the big trip to get “some solitude and rest for herself.”

“She had messaged us and said she was having a wonderful time and the island was so healing,” Cook’s daughter, Melissa Kornweibel, told KCRA .

“It was so beautiful,” the dead woman’s son, Adam Cook, added. “She loved it there.”

The siblings had held out hope for weeks that their mother might have miraculously survived the blaze, as they scrambled to find out any information about Cook’s whereabouts.

Kornweibel said she reached out to the hotel’s property manager and another guest to ask if people had been evacuated.

She found out that guests had been evacuated, but her mother was missing.

For nine days, the siblings sought answers from the Red Cross and the Coast Guard, and reached out to people on Facebook.

“They received little guidance as to where their mother had gone but they remained hopeful,” a GoFundMe set up for the family says.

They finally received the devastating news about their mother on Sunday.

“It’s a lot to process,” Adam said. “It’s still hard to even admit.”

Still, Kornweibel said: “I don’t blame anybody.

“Things happen. Natural disasters happen. We’re human, we make mistakes. We do the best with the information we’re given.”

Locals have told The Post how the fire started early in the morning of Aug. 8 when a transformer blew and ignited dry grass on Maui County-owned land, about a mile from Lahaina’s historic waterfront.

By 9 a.m., county officials reported that the morning fire was “100% contained” — even though hurricane-force gusts were still blowing in the area.

They then left the scene, with county officials later saying the first responders were needed in other locations. But within an hour, the brush fire reignited and roared down the hillside toward the ocean, destroying nearly everything in its path.

Meanwhile, the heads of the Maui and Hawaii emergency management agencies were at an annual conference on Oahu on Aug. 8, the day the fires started leveling Lahaina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed to HawaiiNewsNow (HNN).

Key federal officials were also at FEMA’s annual disaster meeting when one of the worst disasters in recent US history started occurring on the other island, the outlet said.

The officials gathering in Waikiki only became part of a “coordinating call about 11 a.m.,” a state emergency management spokesperson told the local outlet of what would have been nearly five hours after the blazes started.

The death toll from the fire has reached 115 people, as the number of missing has increased to 1,100.

“We know we’re not alone,” Kornweibel said. “There’s so many people missing and so many people have lost their lives, and we’ve never done this before. 

“We would just love any advice and encouraging words and support.”

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‘I’m heartbroken’: residents and tourists mourn the destruction of Lahaina

The historic town was beloved by visitors and locals alike, who now wonder how and when the community can be rebuilt

J ust over a week since wildfires ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island of Maui and killed at least 110 people , residents, historians and international tourists are still processing the near total destruction of Lahaina .

Brad Shirakawa, 68, a photojournalist and multimedia producer from San Jose, California, has been travelling to Lahaina since 2003.

“I’ve been there about a dozen times; I was there in July last year. I have some friends there now and some family that live on the island. There’s nothing better than enjoying a cold brew while listening to the musicians on the west side of Maui, [the] Lahaina and the Kaanapali beach area,” he says.

“I am fortunate to have met some of them: Ron Hetteen and Damon Parrillo, Kawika Lum Ho and Sam Ahia. Sam was well known for playing at Kimo’s restaurant on Front Street, which burned to the ground. I’ve donated to Legacy of Aloha, which was set up to aid the employees of Kimo’s, who have now lost their jobs of course.”

Shirakawa believes locals having to navigate the aftermath of the inferno, which is already the deadliest US wildfire in over a century, face many years of great difficulty and frustration, with some probably having to leave the island for good.

Shirakawa is uncertain when he will return to Lahaina. “Probably not this year, and maybe not next year either,” he says. “I’m going to look at the news and see what they say. If local people say ‘don’t come’, I’m not going to go. I don’t want to make it worse.”

Seventy-two-year-old retiree Scott Werden, who lives on Maui and has been surfing in Lahaina every week for years, is still reeling from the catastrophe, and has been observing with mixed feelings how tourism has altered the historic town over time.

“Lahaina has dramatically changed from being a town that served the needs of the local community to serving the needs of tourism,” he says.

“For most of us living here, Lahaina was viewed as a bit touristy these days, but it is, or was, still the cultural and historic heart of Maui and there is a lot of pride in it.”

Many local residents of the island, Werden says, are upset about the fact that tourists are still arriving in nearby areas to enjoy a holiday, despite the devastation of Lahaina.

“Maui is small enough for there to be a lot of interconnection, and everyone has friends or family members that are affected. To see people frolicking on the beach just a few miles from where bodies are still being pulled from the ashes is shocking,” he says.

“People here have a love-hate relationship with tourism anyway, and this tragedy just amplifies that dichotomy. I think most people, myself included, would prefer for tourists to give the community some consideration and stay away for a bit.”

One elementary school in Lahaina, the King Kamehameha III school, completely burned down, Werden says, while three other schools sustained some fire damage but survived.

“I believe they are closed for now. I am on the board of a Maui non-profit that is running a fire relief fund that is focused on quickly getting financial aid to affected families, particularly those with keiki [kids]. School was supposed to start last week but displaced kids have lost everything – school supplies, clothes and so on. We hope to help them get going again.

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“The families that have been displaced, some to the other side of the island, some to Oahu, are now in housing that is only temporary, so even if they get their children enrolled in a new school close to where they are sheltered, they will likely have to move again soon. It is terribly disruptive to the children and really hard on a culture that values close family and community relationships that are now torn apart.”

Werden believes the disaster will cause many locals to move away permanently, and he is looking with trepidation to what will come next, as the cost to rebuild the town is expected to exceed $5.5bn, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“The economics are not in locals’ favour, unfortunately. It will cost them a lot of money to rebuild Lahaina, and there will be endless debates about how to rebuild in the face of rising ocean levels, climate change and the need to have more affordable housing,” Werden says.

“These debates are starting now and they will go on for years while the displaced are waiting.”

Anne Harris, 53, from northern British Columbia, Canada, is among the scores of North Americans who shared with the Guardian how lucky they feel to have been able to travel to the historical town in the past.

“We visited this gorgeous little town in 2010 during a family holiday to Maui. It was charming. Touristy, yes, but old, with wooden buildings all down Front Street, a stately courthouse building shaded by the famous banyan tree and restaurants all facing the ocean,” Harris recalls.

“Our trip on the sailboat that afternoon provided some great views of the whole town, which stretched along the coastline without any modern high-rise hotels to spoil the impression of an old world, historic place. This was our only trip to Maui. Every year we’ve spoken of going back, and spending more time in the Lahaina area, but budgets and family commitments always made it impossible.

“I spent some time this weekend going through my photos to remind myself of all that has been lost. The whole of Front Street and key buildings including the courthouse and the Baldwin home museum are gone.

“I’m heartbroken to see what has happened to this lovely place and the lovely people living there.”

Harris says she is donating to the Red Cross and the Maui Humane Society to support rescue and rebuilding works on the island, after seeing several social media posts, including a video from Barack Obama, suggesting ways in which people can help.

“I want to do my part, however small,” she says. “I really hope that Lahaina can be rebuilt, and that infrastructure can be developed to better ensure it is protected from natural disasters as best as possible.”

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Photos capture Lahaina devastation as death toll rises from Maui wildfires: 'Feels like a bomb was dropped'

At least 55 people are confirmed dead, and officials warn that the figure is likely to rise..

The death toll from the wildfires that tore across Maui this week is expected to rise as residents who escaped the flames in the town of Lahaina begin to return to what’s left of their homes, most of which were burned to the ground.

"Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down," Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Thursday after touring the devastation. "Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina."

At least 67 people are confirmed dead, and Green said the total number of fatalities was likely to exceed the state record of 61 who died in a tsunami on the Big Island in 1960. Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in to assist in the search for remains.

At least 1,700 structures in Lahaina were destroyed or heavily damaged by the wildfires, which began Tuesday and quickly spread due to abnormally dry conditions and winds from Hurricane Dora as it passed hundreds of miles to the south, forcing thousands in the tourist hot spot to make desperate escapes.

More coverage of the wildfires on Yahoo News

How to help Hawaii's wildfire victims: Food banks, shelters and cash donations

Hawaii wildfires: How climate change contributed to starting the Maui blaze

Oprah calls Maui wildfire devastation 'overwhelming' as she hands out supplies at shelter

The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday that it had rescued more than 50 people who jumped into the Pacific Ocean to escape the flames.

Survivors told the Associated Press that Hawaii’s famous emergency warning system, which consists of 400 sirens positioned across the island chain, didn’t alert them as fires raced toward their homes, and they realized they were in danger only when they saw the approaching fires.

Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives.

“They were basically self-evacuating, with fairly little notice,” Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura said, according to the AP.

Earlier this week, President Biden approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii to unlock federal aid for those affected by fires.

“Our prayers are with the people of Hawaii,” he said Thursday. “But not just our prayers — every asset we have will be available to them.”

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Photos: A closer look at the heart of Lahaina 4 months after deadly wildfire

The heart of Lahaina, the historic town on Maui that burned in a deadly wildfire that killed at least 100 people, reopened Monday to residents and business owners holding day passes.

The renewed access marks an important emotional milestone for victims of the Aug. 8 fire, but much work remains to be done to safely clear properties of burned debris and rebuild.

The reopened areas include Banyan Tree Park, home to a 150-year-old tree that burned in the fire but that is now sprouting new leaves, Lahaina Public Library, King Kamehameha III Elementary School and popular restaurants.

An oceanfront section of Front Street, where the fire ripped through a traffic jam of cars trying to escape town, reopened Friday.

Officials have finished reopening all 83 zones established in the 5-mile Lahaina impact area ahead of schedule. The reopening process started with the first residential zone on Sept. 25.

These photos share what the town looks like four months after the fire.

Authorities are continuing to recommend that people entering scorched lots wear protective gear to shield them from hazards.

On Sunday, the state Department of Health released test results confirming the ash and dust left by the fire is toxic and that arsenic is the biggest concern. Arsenic is a heavy metal that adheres to wildfire dust and ash, the department said.

The tests examined ash samples collected Nov. 7-8 from 100 properties built from the 1900s to the 2000s. Samples also showed high levels of lead, which was used to paint houses built before 1978.

The clean-up is still in its early stages. For the past few months, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been removing batteries, propane tanks, pesticides and other hazards from the town's more than 2,000 destroyed buildings.

Residents and business owners have been able to visit their properties after the EPA has finished clearing their lots.

In some cases, residents — often wearing white full-body suits, masks and gloves — have found family heirlooms and mementos after sifting through the charred rubble of their homes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin hauling away the remaining debris and take it to a landfill after it gets permission from property owners .

False rumors have claimed that signing up for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency can give the government control of your land. Signing a right-of-entry form does not transfer ownership of the property.

Construction of a temporary elementary school continues for students and teachers of King Kamehameha III Elementary. Crews completed clearing and grading the site. Modular units for the first classroom arrived last week.

Students have been sharing campus facilities with Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary since October. Enrollment on the first day back for Kamehameha III students was 380 — a roughly 40% decrease from 624 students before the fire.

Handover to the Department of Education is expected by the end of February 2024. The department will install furniture and telecommunications.

The EPA and the state's health department have installed 53 air monitors in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, where a separate fire burned homes in early August.

The department is urging people to avoid outdoor activity when monitor levels show elevated air pollution and to close windows and doors.

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Hawaii's governor orders review as Maui fires become deadliest in modern U.S. history

Juliana Kim

Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family's home on Friday in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, in western Maui, Hawaii. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family's home on Friday in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, in western Maui, Hawaii.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he has ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week's wildfires on Maui.

In a 9-minute audio released on Sunday, the governor said more than 2,700 structures were destroyed in and around the historic town of Lahaina. The death toll rose to at least 96 late Sunday, according to Maui County officials , but Green said he expects the number to rise. He said 35 additional members of an Urban Search and Rescue team are arriving — along with 20 dogs to help pick through the rubble.

In ordering the review, Green said, "There is a lot to share. There is a lot of information that people want. And to that end, I've authorized a comprehensive review of what happened in the early hours of the fire and hours thereafter."

"We will build back together. We will find out what we could have done to prevent such loss of life to the best of our ability."

"This is a big mission which will go on for many months and many years," he said.

Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina. Sebastien Vuagnat/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Green also gave new details about the fires that burned on Maui last Tuesday. He said one fire was deemed out — but "must not have been completely extinguished." He said wind gusts were reported as high as 81 mph. The fire spread rapidly — traveling one mile every minute. He said combined with those winds and the 1,000-degree temperatures, "ultimately all the pictures you see will be easy to understand."

Green added, "that level of destruction in a fire hurricane — something new to us in this age of global warming — was the ultimate reason that so many people perished."

He did not address evacuation plans or why emergency sirens did not sound.

The devastating wildfire that tore though parts of Maui and destroyed much of Lahaina is the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

Green said over the weekend that hundreds of people were still unaccounted for and he expected the number of dead to increase.

Burned cars, destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Burned cars, destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina.

"We want to brace people for that," Green said. The governor added that the road to recovery would be a long one. "It's going to be, in the short term, heartbreaking," Green said. "In the long term, people are going to need mental health care services. In the very long term we'll rebuild together."

Federal officials have provided search dogs to help assist efforts to recover fire victims, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Saturday.

"We need to identify your loved ones," Pelletier said.

Up to 4,500 displaced people are in need of shelter, according to a Maui County Facebook post citing the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Damage across Maui is estimated to be close to $6 billion, Green said.

Firefighting efforts continue

Firefighting crews continue to work on extinguishing flare-ups in the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, according to a County of Maui update on Saturday.

As of Friday night, the fire that tore through Lahaina had been 85% contained, according to County of Maui officials.

Containment does not necessarily mean a fire is not raging on. Rather, it refers to the perimeter that fire crews were able to create around the fire to keep it from spreading. That means, even if a fire is 100% contained, it could still be burning.

The Lahaina Fire in West Maui is estimated to have burned 2,170 acres and damaged or destroyed more than 2,200 structures. About 86% of the buildings that were exposed to the fire were residential, the Pacific Disaster Center said on Saturday.

Anthony M. La Puente, 44, recovers items from his house in Lahaina. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Destroyed buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina on Friday. Paula Ramon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Destroyed buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina on Friday.

Scorched by Maui wildfire, historic Lahaina banyan tree appears still standing

In Ka'anapali, also in West Maui, a small fire that was sparked on Friday and forced mass evacuations has been completely contained. But the brief flames disrupted plans to distribute fuel on Saturday that had been stored in the area, local officials said . On Saturday evening, officials said the fire had been extinguished.

The Pulehu wildfire in Central Maui above Kihei burned mostly on Haleakala Ranch lands. A few small "smokers" were visible from the air. Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources hide caption

Meanwhile, in South Maui, the blaze scorching Pulehu was declared 100% contained.

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Photos: 'whole town went and dissolved into ashes,' hawaii lieutenant governor says.

On Friday, Attorney General Anne Lopez announced that her department will be conducting a review of decisions made leading up to, during and after the historic wildfires. The inquiry comes amid accusations from some residents that there were no warning sirens on Tuesday ahead of the fires, failing to give them enough time to prepare.

In upcountry Maui, the Kula fire destroyed numerous area homes. Maui County firefighters were still on the scene Friday night. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

In upcountry Maui, the Kula fire destroyed numerous area homes. Maui County firefighters were still on the scene Friday night.

A helicopter makes a pass over the Kula wildfire area in upcountry Maui. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

Much of the western part of Maui remains without power — jeopardizing the food in people's refrigerators. Local officials have also warned against drinking tap water — even if it is boiled — due to possible contamination from the fires.

Though some cell service has been restored, authorities have also asked residents to text rather than talk over the phone because of severely limited bandwidth.

Maui officials say it was 'impossible' to warn everyone as wildfires spread quickly

Access into West Maui has also been restricted, though the highway for vehicles leaving Lahaina remains open. Lahaina remains barricaded, with authorities warning people to stay out of the area due to toxic airborne particles. Officials also advise people nearby to wear masks and gloves.

Emily Komatsu (right) with her son, Nehemiah Komatsu, volunteers at Waiehu Community Church partnering with Kahului Baptist church to collect and sort donations for relief to people affected by the deadly wildfires in Maui. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

Traffic backs up outside Lahaina. Deanne Fitzmaurice for NPR hide caption

More than 1,400 people remain in evacuation shelters on the island. A family assistance center is open this weekend in the city of Kahului for those looking for information about loved ones who are still unaccounted for.

About 1,000 people are missing, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier estimated on Thursday, though he cautioned that "honestly we don't know."

The death toll from the Maui fires surpasses the 85 people who were killed in the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California. A fire that raged through northern Minnesota in 1918 killed hundreds.

NPR's Russell Lewis, Jason DeRose, Lauren Sommer and Don Clyde contributed to this report.

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They were alone in a fight to survive. Maui residents had moments to make life-or-death choices

This Aug. 9, 2023 photo taken by his stepfather Mike Eilers and provided by Mike Cicchino shows Mike Cicchino, left, and his wife Andreza, right, hugs Mike’s mother Susan Ramos as they were reunited at shelter in Maui, Hawaii. (Mike Cicchino via AP)

People watch as smoke and flames fill the air from raging wildfires on Front Street in downtown Lahaina, Maui on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Maui officials say wildfire in the historic town has burned parts of one of the most popular tourist areas in Hawaii. County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone interview early Wednesday says fire was widespread in Lahaina, including Front Street, an area of the town popular with tourists. (Alan Dickar via AP

Front Street is seen on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii, following a deadly wildfire. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A boy rides along Main Street past wildfire damage on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Wildfire wreckage is seen Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. The search of the wildfire wreckage on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of burned out homes and obliterated communities as firefighters battled the deadliest blaze in the U.S. in recent years. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A man walks through wildfire wreckage Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that wiped out a historic town. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A member of the search and rescue team walks with her cadaver dog near Front Street on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii, following heavy damage caused by wildfires. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

This Aug. 9, 2023 photo taken by his stepfather Mike Eilers and provided by Mike Cicchino shows Mike Cicchino holding his dog Raina, right, his wife Andreza Cicchino, left and his mother Susan Ramos pose for a picture as they were reunited at shelter in Maui, Hawaii. (Courtesy of Mike Cicchino via AP)

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LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The smoke was starting to blot out the sun. Winds were howling, and heat bore down as flames licked the trees on the horizon. The power had been out all day, so Mike Cicchino thought he’d drive to the hardware store for a generator. He turned off his street, and in an instant, his Lahaina neighborhood seemed to spiral into a war zone.

“When I turned that corner, I see pandemonium,” he said. “I see people running and grabbing their babies and screaming and jumping in their cars.”

It was around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when Cicchino and his neighbors began a desperate fight for their lives. They had just moments to make decisions that would determine whether they lived or died in a race against the flames — a harrowing, narrow window of time in one of the most horrifying and lethal natural disasters the country has seen in years.

There were no sirens , no one with bullhorns, no one to tell anyone what to do: They were on their own, with their families and neighbors, to choose whether to stay or to run, and where to run to — through smoke so thick it blinded them, flames closing in from every direction, cars exploding, toppled power lines and uprooted trees, fire whipping through the wind and raining down.

Authorities have confirmed that nearly 100 people died — already making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century — and they expect that number to rise.

Just 10 minutes before Cicchino made that turn away from his street, Maui fire officials had issued an ominous warning. The Lahaina brush fire had sparked that morning, but authorities reported it was contained. Now, officials said, erratic wind, challenging terrain and flying embers made it hard to predict the fire’s path and speed. It could be a mile away, Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said, “but in a minute or two, it can be at your house.”

Cicchino did a U-turn, ran into his house and told his wife they needed to leave: “We need to go! We need to get out of here now!”

They ran to the car with five dogs and called police, and a dispatcher said to follow the traffic. Access to the main highway — the only road leading in and out of Lahaina — was cut off by barricades set up by authorities. The roadblocks forced Cicchino and the line of cars onto Front Street.

A few blocks away, Kehau Kaauwai said the wind was so intense it tore the roof from her neighbor’s home. It felt like tornado after tornado was slicing down her street.

“It roared,” she said. “It sounded like an airplane landing on our street.”

Within moments, she said, the smoke that had been blocks away suddenly engulfed them. It darkened from gray to black, day seemed to turn to night.

Kaauwai couldn’t even see buildings anymore. Something was exploding; it sounded like fireworks. She ran inside. She couldn’t think — she just grabbed her dog and some clothes, never imagining she would not see her house or anything in it ever again.

Around 4 p.m., she got into her car. Traffic crawled, people were dragging uprooted trees out of the road with their bare hands. Debris whipped in the wind and banged on the car. Danger seemed to come from every direction.

Kaauwai would have driven to Front Street, but a stranger walking by told her to go the other way. She wishes now she could thank him, because he might have saved her life.

On gridlocked Front Street, people were panicking, crying, screaming, honking.

Bill Wyland grabbed his computer, passport and Social Security card and stuffed them into a backpack. He got on his Harley Davidson and drove on the sidewalk.

“I could feel the heat burning in my back. I could pretty much feel the hair is burning off the back of my neck,” said Wyland, who owns an art gallery on the street.

At one point, he passed a man on a bicycle madly pedaling for his life. Some were abandoning cars and fleeing on foot. The smoke was so thick, so toxic, some said they vomited.

“It’s something you’d see in a ‘Twilight Zone’ horror movie or something,” Wyland said.

The street was so jammed, he thinks if he’d taken his car instead, he would have died or been forced into the ocean. The people sitting in their cars saw black smoke ahead.

“We’re all driving into a death trap,” Mike Cicchino thought. He told his wife: “We need to jump out of this car, abandon the car, and we need to run for our lives.”

They got the dogs out. But it was impossible to know which way to run.

“Behind us, straight ahead, beside us, everywhere was on fire,” Cicchino said. It had been less than 15 minutes since he left his house, and he thought it was the end. He called his mother, his brother, his daughter to tell them he loved them.

The black smoke was so thick they could see only the white dogs, not the three dark ones, and they lost them.

Propane tanks from a catering van exploded.

“It was like a war,” Cicchino said. They could tell how close the fire was coming based how far away the cars sounded when they erupted.

“The cars sounded like bombs going off,” Donnie Roxx said. “It was dark, it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and it looked like midnight.”

A seawall separates the town from the ocean, and Roxx realized he and his neighbors were confronting a horrific decision: stay on burning land or go to the water. The sea was churning and treacherous even for strong swimmers, as the wind kicked up the waves.

“Do you want to get burned or take your chances and drown?” he asked himself. He jumped over the wall.

So did dozens of others, including Mike Cicchino and his wife.

Others came to realize they needed to flee — but not because officials told them. Some heard from friends and neighbors, others just had a feeling.

“There was no warning. There was absolutely none,” said Lynn Robinson. “Nobody came around. We didn’t see a fire truck or anybody.”

She left her apartment near Front Street around 4:30. About a mile away, Lana Vierra’s boyfriend stopped by her home and said he’d seen the fire raging toward them.

“He told me straight, ‘People are going to die in this town; you gotta get out,’” she recalled. So she did.

Anne Landon was chatting with others in her senior apartment complex. She said she felt a sudden blast of hot air that must have been more than 100 degrees. She ran to her unit and grabbed her purse and her 15-pound dog, La Vida.

“It’s time to get out! Let’s get out!” she shouted to neighbors as she rushed to her car.

She’d already packed a rolling duffle bag in her car, just in case. She didn’t know where to go. She stopped and asked an officer, who didn’t know what to tell her, except to wish to her luck.

Debris was flying through the air. She ran into people she barely knew but recognized. They told her to come with them to their home. They got stuck in a dead stop in the traffic, so they abandoned the car. She put the dog on top of her rolling suitcase and dragged it down Front Street, to the beach.

Downtown’s historic wooden buildings were burning. The splintering lumber broke apart and flew through the wind, still flaming.

“The sky was black, and the wind was blowing, and the embers were going over us. We didn’t know if we’d have to jump in the water,” she said. “I was terrified, absolutely horrified — so, so scared.”

But a path through the smoke cleared for just a moment, and police came shouting for them to go north. They ran.

Many others remained trapped on the beach.

Mike Cicchino and his wife took off their shirts, dunked them in water and tried to cover their faces. Cicchino ran up and down the seawall, shouting his lost dogs’ names. He saw dead bodies slumped next to the wall. “Help me,” people screamed. Elderly and disabled people couldn’t make it over the wall on their own. Some were badly burned, and Cicchino lifted as many as he could. He ran until he vomited from the smoke, his eyes nearly swollen shut.

For the next five or six hours, they moved back and forth between sea and shore. They crouched behind the wall, trying to get as low as they could. When flames fell from the sky, they dunked themselves into the water. Their surviving dogs’ fur was singed.

It was so surreal, Cicchino thought he must be dreaming.

“My mind kept going back to: This has got to be just a nightmare. This cannot be real. This cannot actually be happening,” he said. “But then you realize you’re burning. I’m feeling pain, and I don’t feel pain in nightmares.”

The U.S. Coast Guard’s first notification about the fires was when the search and rescue command center in Honolulu received reports of people in the water near Lahaina at 5:45 p.m., said Capt. Aja Kirksy, commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.

The boats were hard to see because of the smoke, but Cicchino and others used cellphones to flash lights at the vessels, guiding them in to rescue some, mostly children. Fire trucks eventually came and drove them out, through the flames.

Those who survived are haunted by what they endured.

Cicchino jolts awake at night from dreams of dead people, dead dogs. Two of his dogs remain missing. He agonizes over the decisions he made: Could he have saved more people? Could he have saved the dogs?

Anne Landon was practically catatonic. She imagines her neighbors who didn’t make it out and wonders if she might have been able to help them. She was covered in ash but couldn’t bring herself to shower.

Her dog wouldn’t eat for two days.

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

AP national writers Galofaro and Sedensky reported from Louisville, Kentucky, and New York. Reporters Audrey McAvoy, Andrew Selsky, Haven Daley and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher also contributed.

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• Saturday, April 13, 2024
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In Memoriam: A list of the people killed in Maui fires

• By Star-Advertiser staff
• Sept. 15, 2023

Unlimited access to premium stories for as low as $12.95 /mo.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Top left to right: Jeanne Eliason, 57, of Lahaina; Michael Mahnensmith, 80, of Lahaina; Leslie Smith, 80, of Lahaina; and Dale Ann Richter, 66, of Lahaina. Bottom left to right: Buddy Joe Carter, 85, of Lahaina; Bernard Portabes, 75, of Lahaina; Tau Ponali, 66, of Lahaina; and Valerie Kauffman, 78, of Lahaina.

Top left to right: Marilou Dias, 60, of Lahaina; Laurie Allen, 65, of Lahaina; Leticia “Letty” Constantino, 56, of Lahaina; Allen John Constantino, 25, of Lahaina. Bottom left to right: Nicholas “Nick” Turbin, 71, of Lahaina; Glenda Yabes, 48, of Lahaina; and Joel Villegas, 55, and Adela Villegas, 53, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Gwendolyn Puou, 83, of Lahaina; Linda Vaikeli, 69, of Lahaina; Revelina Tomboc, 81, of Lahaina; and Alfred “Alfie” Rawlings, 84, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: Angelica Baclig, 31, of Lahaina; Freeman Tam Lung, 80, of Lahaina; June Anbe, 78, of Lahaina; and Mark Kaminsky, 50, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Michael Morinho, 61, of Lahaina; Morris Kaita, 74, of Lahaina; Luz Bernabe, 64, of Lahaina; Felimon Quijano, 61, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: Junmark Quijano, 30, of Lahaina; Maria Victoria Recolizado, 51, of Lahaina; Eugene Recolizado, 59, of Lahaina; and Justin Recolizado, 11, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Jonathan Somaoang, 76, of Lahaina; Glenn Yoshino, 75, of Lahaina; Bibiana “Bhing” Tomboc Lutrania, 58, of Lahaina; and John “Thumper” McCarthy, 74, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: David Nuesca Jr., 59, of Lahaina; Rafael Imperial, 63, of Lahaina; Maurice Buen, 79, of Lahaina; and Rex Cole, 64, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Antonia “Toni” Molina, 64, of Lahaina; Douglas Gloege, 59, of Lahaina; Po‘omaikai Losano, 28, of Lahaina; Theresa Cook, 72, of Sacramento, Calif.; and Joseph Lara, 86, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: Tony Takafua, 7, and Salote Tone, 39; Faaoso Tone, 70, and Maluifonua Tone, 73; and Anthony “Tony” Simpson, 43, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Joe Schilling, 67, of Lahaina; Kirk Carter, 44, of Lahaina; Juan de Leon, 45, of Lahaina; and Clyde Wakida, 74, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: Salvador Coloma, 77, of Lahaina; Lynn Manibog, 74, of Lahaina; Virginia “Vergie” Dofa, 90, of Lahaina; Carole Hartley (Paxton), 60, of Lahaina.

From top left to right: Rodolfo Rocutan, 76, of Lahaina; Keyiro Fuentes, 14, of Lahaina; Conchita Sagudang, 75, and Danilo Sagudang, 55, of Lahaina; and Franklin “Frankie” Trejos, 68, of Lahaina. From bottom left to right: Buddy Jantoc, 79, of Lahaina; Becky Wells, 57, of Lahaina; Donna Gomes, 71, of Lahaina; and Alfredo Galinato, 79, of Lahaina.

Editors’ Note: This story will be updated daily as more information about the victims becomes available. Email [email protected] to share stories and photos of lost loved ones.

The following is a list of individuals who have been confirmed dead by authorities as a result of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire in Lahaina.

• Louise Abihai, 97, of Lahaina

Abihai was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road. Her grandson said she was mobile and could walk a mile a day, but was often hard to reach because she liked to turn off her cell phone to save battery power.

• Laurie Allen, 65, of Lahaina

Allen died Sept. 29 at the Straub Medical Center burn unit in Honolulu. According to the New York Times, she suffered severe burns while running through the flames after being forced by a fallen tree to abandon her car. Her husband, Perry, told The New York Times that she loved the water, snorkeling and kayaking, and went to church three days a week. She would sometimes stop at the side of the road to strike up relationships with homeless people, helping some of them get into permanent housing. “That’s the kind of stuff she would do,” Allen said.

• June Anbe, 78, of Lahaina

Anbe was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road.

• Angelica Baclig, 31, of Lahaina

Baclig is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Narciso Baylosis Jr., 67, of Lahaina

Family members reported on Facebook the Narcisos were trying to leave Lahaina in a black Honda CRV the night of Aug. 8, headed north to Kahana, but never arrived.

• Vanessa Baylosis, 67, of Lahaina

• Melva “Honey Girl” Benjamin, 71, of Lahaina

Benjamin was born in Hoolehua, Molokai, and earned her associate degree from Maui Community College. She worked at Hawaiian Telcom until retiring to Lahaina with partner, Edward Sato, who also perished in the fire.

• Luz Bernabe, 64, of Lahaina

Bernabe is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Maurice “Shadow” Buen, 79, of Lahaina

Buen, who lived at Piilani Homes on Wainee Street, a 42-unit Hawaii Public Housing Authority complex for older residents, was a longtime sports fisherman and Army veteran. He earned his nickname as a youngster from following his father and brothers around “like a little shadow,” his daughter said. For 40 years of his life he worked on charter sportfishing boats. “He was all about that,” daughter Kimberly Buen said. “One of my dad’s phrases was, ‘Shadow knows.’ Throughout the year he would know where to find the fish. When somebody charters they’re always tourists from out of town, and you want to give them that experience, and my dad was knowledgeable about the time of year and where to go and take the boats.” Her father also liked to talk story and never came up short. “My dad always had plenty of stories and had quite the personality for one-liners, like ‘Shadow knows’ and ‘If you’re not busy, look busy.’ He would always have something to say.”

• Buddy Joe Carter, 85, of Lahaina

• Kirk Carter, 44, of Lahaina

Carter died Aug. 15 at Straub Medical Center’s Burn Unit in Honolulu. He worked for Atlantis Submarines Maui as a guest service agent. Friends told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he was a diehard Chicago sports fan and fun-loving guy “who just wanted every day to make people laugh … and he just brightened the energy of the room.”

• Ediomede Pavian Castillo, 35, of Lahaina

• Rex Cole, 64, of Lahaina

Advocates for Lahaina’s homeless community described Cole as a kind, friendly guy who loved to sit under the trees by Lahaina Harbor or the Baldwin House Museum. He reportedly was last seen with his walker at the foot of the town’s historic banyan tree.

• Lydia Coloma, 70, of Lahaina

Coloma is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Salvador Coloma, 77, of Lahaina

• Allen John Constantino, 25, of Lahaina

The Lahainaluna High School alumnus was a real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty Maui.

• Leticia “Letty” Constantino, 56, of Lahaina

Originally from Caoayan, Ilocos SurWorks, in the Philippines, Constantino worked at the Aston Kaanapali Shores.

• Theresa Cook, 72, of Sacramento, Calif.

Cook was staying at the historic Best Western Pioneer Inn in Lahaina town and was supposed to fly home to Sacramento Aug. 9, according to her daughter. Cook left the hotel on foot heading south on Wharf Street and was last seen walking past the Banyan Tree around 5:30 or 5:45 p.m. wearing a colorful sarong.

• Juan de Leon, 45, of Lahaina

• Marilou Dias, 60, of Lahaina

• Virginia “Vergie” Dofa, 90, of Lahaina

Dofa was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road. She was raised in a plantation camp in Olowalu and lived on Oahu for many years before returning to Maui. Dofa worked many years as a cook with the restaurant concessionaire at Honolulu airport. “She loved cooking for people, making them happy and sharing her love of food,” said her daughter-in-law. “I think food and cooking was her love language.”

• Bette Jo Dyckman, 73, of Lahaina

• Robert Dyckman, 74, of Lahaina

• Jeanne Eliason, 57, of Lahaina

Eliason was looking forward with excitement to welcoming her first grandchild in September, according to a message her daughter, Leila, posted on a verified GoFundMe page seeking support for a celebration of life. “She was the best mom to everyone, her light was so bright and brought such joy everywhere she went,” she said.

• Keyiro Fuentes, 14, of Lahaina

Fuentes was a day away from starting his junior year at Lahainaluna High School when the wildfire consumed his home, his family said . His remains were found in his bedroom with his dog nearby.

• Alfredo Galinato, 79, of Lahaina

Galinato’s family told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he was waiting for his wife to get off work at the Safeway at Lahaina Cannery Mall when he decided to rush back to try to save his longtime family home on Kopili Street as the runaway wildfire approached. He apparently died while hosing down his yard and roof and neighbors’ property. Galinato retired several years ago from his job as “the bird man” taking care of parrots and other wildlife at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali.

• Douglas Gloege, 59, of Lahaina

Gloege fled on foot from his home on Paeohi Street with his partner Rebecca Rans, 57, according to family members. They were found together several blocks away behind a Subway restaurant building.

• Donna Gomes, 71, of Lahaina

Gomes, who lived on Lahainaluna Road, was a retired MPD public safety aide at the Lahaina Police Station. The stern but devoted family matriarch enjoyed playing poker and was scheduled to visit Las Vegas Aug. 16, a day after what would have been her 72nd birthday, her family told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser .

• Michael Gordon, 68, of Lahaina

• George Hall III, 67, of Kahului

• Carole Hartley (Paxton), 60, of Lahaina

Friends said the free-spirited Hartley, originally from Mobile, Ala., was a scuba instructor and surfer who lived in Lahaina for 36 years. Hartley’s family said she had tried to flee the fast-moving flames but became separated from her partner in the thick smoke and chaos. Her remains were found on the property. “My little sister has always looked for the good in people and always helped others. She will be missed by all that knew her for her fun personality, her smile and adventures,” her sister told CNN.

• Roxanne Ibara-Hinau, 68, of Lahaina

• Rafael Imperial, 63, of Lahaina

Imperial was born in Naga City in the Philippines and worked as a draft tech for Anheuser-Busch, his family said. He also worked at Allied Universal Security Services and at the Sheraton Maui as a parking booth attendant. Among his survivors are his wife, Evelyn, and two sons.

• Buddy Jantoc, 79, of Lahaina

The beloved local musician was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road. The bass guitarist toured the world with other musicians and was a fixture playing music at local hotels in Lahaina and also played for several halau hula.

• Coleen Jones, 59, of Lahaina

• Morris Kaita, 74, of Lahaina

• Richard Kam, 88, of Lahaina

• Mark Kaminsky, 50, of Lahaina

• Valerie Kauffman, 78, of Lahaina

• Albert Kitaguchi, 62, of Lahaina

Kitaguchi, a 1979 graduate of Lahainaluna who lived on Wahikuli Road, worked as a doorman of the old Spats nightclub at the Hyatt Regency Maui and also formerly worked as a United Airlines customer service agent in Kahului and at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. He loved drag racing, working on his cars and gardening, according to his family. He leaves behind two daughters and two granddaughters.

• Joseph Lara, 86, of Lahaina

Lara, who retired as Maui Electric Co.’s Lanai station manager and lived on Paunau Street, was found with his beloved part-Chihuahua, Haupia, outside his purple 2003 Ford Ranger pickup truck at the Outlets of Maui parking structure. His daughter described Lara, the son of Filipino immigrants, as a “jokester” with a strong personality. “Everyone knew him,” she said. “He was a Lahaina boy, and they all knew him as the man who drove a purple truck with the white dog.”

• Po‘omaikai Losano (Estores-Losano), 28, of Lahaina

Losano, who lived on Hauola Place, worked at a booth on Front Street selling discounted visitor activities. The 2013 Baldwin High School alumnus and father of two loved playing Hawaiian music, according to his sister. She described him as a funny, talkative guy who “always saw the good in people, he never held grudges.”

• Bibiana “Bhing” Lutrania, 58, of Lahaina

Lutrania, from Pangasinan in the Philippines, worked at Ipu Island Crafts at Lahaina Cannery Mall and enjoyed shopping and dining out with friends. “She had a lot of friends. She like to go out and talk to people. She was very friendly,” he sister said. Lutrania used a cane due to a leg injury and was found in a burned vehicle, along with her 82-year-old stepmother, Revelina “Rebing” Baybayan Tomboc, not too far from their Mela Street home.

• Rogelio Mabalot Sr., 68, of Lahaina

His family said his remains were found on Prison Street in Lahaina town.

• Michael Mahnensmith, 80, of Lahaina

Mahnensmith was an artist and craftsman known for his handmade custom leather sandals. He started his shop, Island Sandals, on Front Street in 1978.

• Lynn Manibog, 74, of Lahaina

Manibog retired after 35 years with the Royal Lahaina Resort in a variety of positions, then spent another 10 years as a substitute teacher, mostly at King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina town, according to her daughter. She lived on Pauwala Place mauka of Honoapiilani Highway.

• Douglas Matsuda-Boucher, 65, of Lahaina

• John “Thumper” McCarthy, 74, of Lahaina

McCarthy was a retired fishing charter captain and a fixture at the Lahaina Yacht Club on Front Street. “He greeted everyone with a personal greeting, loved to see people, loved to around everybody,” said Dave Schubert, yacht club commodore. To celebrate his 70th birthday, friends held an impromptu parade, with McCarthy sitting in the back of a convertible cruising up and down Front Street accompanied by honking horns.

• Michael Misaka, 61, of Lahaina

Misaka was born in Wailuku and grew up in Lahaina, attending King Ka­mehameha III Elementary School, which was damaged beyond repair in the fire, and Lahainaluna Intermediate and Lahainaluna High. He studied history for two years at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and later welcomed Megan Sweeting when she was born on Oahu. Misaka was gregarious and friendly on the job as a bartender at Kaanapali resort bar and would brag about Megan to the customers he served drinks, she said. He turned visitors into longtime friends.

• Antonia “Toni” Molina, 64, of Lahaina

Molina was working at the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar at the Outlets of Maui retail complex on Front Street on Aug. 8 when the power went out. She decided to return to her home on Pauoa Street off Lahainaluna Road and soon afterward several relatives came by and advised her to evacuate. Molina told them she was going to first pick up the leaves in her yard and bring whatever needed to be taken from her car into the house and put away. “She was just one of those people — ‘I gotta clean up before I go anywhere,’” according to her cousin Rose Marie Arcangel. Molina, whose remains were found on her property, worked for many years at the Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club and was a devoted member of the First Assembly of God church.

• Michael Morinho, 61, of Lahaina

• Tim Nakamoto, 69, of Lahaina

• Todd Nakamura, 61, of Lahaina

• David Nuesca Jr., 59, of Lahaina

The happy-go-lucky Nuesca was raised in Kahana and Lahaina and in his younger years paddled for Kahana Canoe Club in a crew known as the “egg-beaters” because “they were untouchable,” said his niece. “As a brother, an uncle and grand-uncle, he was always willing to give anything he had, especially to the kids, and lived the simple life of enjoying each day and each other’s company.” Nuesca was found at the family’s longtime home on Malolo Place, where four generations were living at the time of the fire.

• Carolyn Ono, 73, of Lahaina

• Pablo Pagdilao III, 75, of Lahaina

Pagdilao worked at Maui Pineapple Co. in 1971 after arriving from the Philippines and later worked for Pioneer Mill Co. until he retired. According to his family, he died while trying to flee the fire with his wife, Nelda. Pagdilao was partially paralyzed on one side of his body and his wife tried to drag him to safety but he was too heavy for her. “She did not want to leave her husband’s side, but he insisted she save herself for the sake of the family,” his family said. “He was a hardworking man. His family was everything to him that he did whatever he needed to care for his family.”

• Tau Ponali, 66, of Lahaina

• Bernard Portabes, 75, of Lahaina

• Gwendolyn Kanani Puou, 83, of Lahaina

Puou was a great cook and “an amazing, wonderful and caring mother who was strong natured and loved by many,” her family said.

• Paul Kasprzycki, 76, of Lahaina

• Felimon Quijano, 61, of Lahaina

Quijano is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Junmark Quijano, 30, of Lahaina

• Sharlene Rabang, 78, of Lahaina

• Rebecca Rans (Becky Wells), 57, of Lahaina

Rans fled from her home on Paeohi Street with her partner Douglas Gloege, 59, according to family members. They were found together several blocks away behind a Subway restaurant building.

• Alfred “Alfie” Rawlings, 84, of Lahaina

Rawlings was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road. He moved to the island 30 years ago after living in Boston, according to his daughter. Rawlings had been ailing in the weeks before the fire and used an electric wheelchair.

• Eugene Recolizado, 59, of Lahaina

• Justin Recolizado, 11, of Lahaina

• Maria Victoria Recolizado, 51, of Lahaina

• Dale Ann Richter, 66, of Lahaina

• Rodolfo Rocutan, 76, of Lahaina

Rocutan, or “Papa Oppo” as his family called him, was a “wise, friendly, caring, and loving” father and grandfather who was living in Lahaina with his sister, who survived the wildfire.

• Lee Rogo, 76, of Lahaina

• Conchita Sagudang, 75, of Lahaina

Sagudang, from the Abra province in the Philippines, was a longtime cook at the Royal Lahaina Hotel and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa before retiring. “A loving person who worked hard to provide for her family,” her family said she loved to garden and travel, and cared for her ill husband for years before his death in 2011. She died with her son, Danilo Sagudang, while trying to flee the Paunau Street subdivision.

• Danilo Sagudang, 55, of Lahaina

The Maui-born Sagudang was raised in Lahaina and attended Lahainaluna High School and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He worked various jobs in the hotel industry, most recently at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, the Ritz Carlton Maui, Kapalua and Sheraton Maui. His family says he loved music, sports and traveling, “and was a kind and thoughtful person as well as a great friend to many.” Danilo died with his mother, Conchita Sagudang, while trying to flee the Paunau Street subdivision.

• Edward Sato, 76, of Lahaina

• Joe Schilling, 67, of Lahaina

Based on his final text messages, family members said he died at Hale Mahaolu Eono after staying behind to help five other residents who needed assistance.

• Anthony “Tony” Simpson, 43, of Lahaina

Simpson was an emergency medical technician for American Medical Response who was last seen on Keone Street, where he lived. He worked for AMR on Oahu before moving to Maui in March 2019 and was stationed full-time on Lanai, where he was known as “Uncle Tony” to the youngsters there. A co-worker described him as “a happy, fun-loving guy” who enjoyed baking cookies and bread.

• James Smith, 79, of Lahaina

• Leslie Smith, 80, of Lahaina

• Jonathan Somaoang, 76, of Lahaina

Somaoang was a military veteran and master woodworker and carver who at one time owned Simon-Jon Gallery in Lahaina town, where he sold his fine Hawaiian wood bowls, and also carved tikis at Lahaina Cannery Mall, according to social media posts. His home burned but his green Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was not parked there at the time.

• Floyd St. Clair, 75, of Lahaina

• Janet St. Clair, 75, of Lahaina

• Tony Takafua, 7, of Lahaina

The youngest wildfire victim died with his mother Salote Tone, 39, and grandparents Fa’aoso Tone, 70, and Malui’fonua Tone, 73, as they fled the fire. They were found in a burned car near their home. His family says he was a bit spoiled by his doting mother but was still kind and gentle, and loved going to school and spending time with his cousins.

• Terri Thomas, 62, of Lahaina

Thomas, a longtime Lahaina resident, apparently died in her vehicle while attempting to evacuate with an elderly neighbor, a male friend and her dogs, according to her family , who described her as “a beautiful, loving and caring member of our family” who was “outgoing, funny, and always willing to extend help to others in need.”

• Carlo Tobias, 54, of Lahaina

Tobias lived in Lahaina for 32 years and worked for more than 15 years at the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. mill in the Weed Control Department. “He loved to work in his garden planting fruits and vegetables like eggplants, bittermelons, okras, and papayas with full devotion,” according to his family.

• Revelina “Rebing” Tomboc, 81, of Lahaina

Tomboc and her family moved to Maui from Pangasinan in the Philippines. She was found in a burned vehicle, along with her stepdaughter Bibiana “Bhing” Lutrania, 58, not too far from their Mela Street home.

• Fa’aoso Tone, 70, of Lahaina

Fa’aoso Tone and her husband Malui’fonua moved to Maui in 1995 from Vava’u, Tonga, with their children. She was a stay-at-home mom, while he worked primarily in restaurants and hotels, retiring at age 63 to focus on farming and helping his wife raise their grandchildren, according to family. They were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and were active in Tongan community. The couple were found with their daughter Salote Takafua, 39, and her 7-year-old son Tony Takafua in a burned car near their home after they attempted to flee the fire.

• Malui’fonua Tone, 73, of Lahaina

Malui’fonua Tone and his wife Fa’aoso moved to Maui in 1995 from Vava’u, Tonga, with their children. She was a stay-at-home mom, while he worked primarily in restaurants and hotels, retiring at age 63 to focus on farming and helping his wife raise their grandchildren, according to family. They were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and were active in Tongan community. The couple were found with their daughter Salote Takafua, 39, and her 7-year-old son Tony Takafua in a burned car near their home after they attempted to flee the fire.

• Salote Tone, 39, of Lahaina

Salote Tone graduated from Lahainaluna and worked at various times in restaurants, for car rental companies and in real estate. “She loved to have fun and be with her friends and family,” according to her family. “When her son, Tony, was born in 2015 he was her sole purpose.” Tone was found with her 7-year-old son Tony Takafua and parents Fa’aoso Tone, 70, and Malui’fonua Tone, 73, in a burned car near their home.

• Franklin “Frankie” Trejos, 68, of Lahaina

Trejos tried to help others and save his home , but he was found dead in a car, trying to protect his friend Geoff Bogar’s golden retriever, Sam. Trejos, a native of Costa Rica, lived for years with Bogar, a retired fire captain, and his wife, Shannon Weber-Bogar, helping her with her seizures when her husband couldn’t. The couple said he filled their lives with love and laughter. “God took a really good man,” Weber-Bogar told the Associated Press.

• Nicholas “Nick” Turbin , 71, of Lahaina

Originally from Duluth, Minn., Turbin came to Maui in the early 1980s. Over the years he worked as an activity sales agent on Front Street for various businesses. “He loved everything about the job, from the coworkers that became lifelong friends, customers he could talk stories with all day, to all the awesome activities that he got to enjoy,” according to his family. “Not only did he love his career, he loved the town he called home.”

• Freeman Tam Lung, 80, of Lahaina

• Linda Vaikeli, 69, of Lahaina

Vaikeli, who lived at the 112-unit Lahaina Surf apartments, met her husband Sione almost three decades ago while vacationing on Maui, and about a month later she packed up and moved to Lahaina. Vaikeli suffered from medical conditions that made it hard for her to walk, and she used a cane or walker to get around, according to niece Mandy Haney. “She loved to talk. She loved to meet people. She would to talk to tourists for so long on Front Street that we’d finally have to tell her, ‘Aunt Linda, let’s go,’” Haney said.

• Angelita “Angie” Vasquez, 88, Lahaina

Vasquez was a tenant at the 35-unit Hale Mahaolu Eono independent-living apartment complex on Lahainaluna Road. She worked in the hospitality industry for many decades before retiring from the Maui Marriott Resort. “She loved to travel to Las Vegas and sit at the slot machines for hours waiting for that jackpot to come through,” according to her family. “You would find her on Sundays at the Lahaina Cannery Mall enjoying the live music and hula shows. Angie is known for her amazing cooking, being a bookworm, her green thumb and great love for gardenias and orchids.”

• Adela Villegas, 53, of Lahaina

Villegas is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Joel Villegas, 55, of Lahaina

• Leroy Wagner, 69, of Lahaina

Wagner was on the phone with his sister when he stepped outside and saw the flames — too late for him to escape, according to his family . His remains were found inside his Lahaina home.

• Clyde Wakida, 74, of Lahaina

Wakida died in a desperate bid to save the Puapihi Street home he and his wife of 46 years, Penny, built together 35 years ago. The Wakida ohana is very active in West Maui community affairs. Penny, now retired, came to Lahaina from the mainland to teach English at Lahainaluna High School. Her husband, a retired construction manager, was a Lahainaluna alumnus. His father was Lahaina tennis coaching legend Shigeto “Shigesh” Wakida, who died in 2001. The public tennis courts on Front Street named after the elder Wakida are now in ruins.

• Glenda Yabes, 48, of Lahaina

Yabes is one of eight members of the Yabes-Coloma-Villegas-Quijano ohana known to have died in the Aug. 8 fire.

• Todd Yamafuji, 68, of Lahaina

• Glenn Yoshino, 75, of Lahaina

Yoshino was a proud Lahainaluna alumnus, originally from Puukolii in West Maui. Before retiring he manned the front desk at several hotels and also co-owned the popular House of Saimin in Lahaina, where he was often seen “cooking, making wun tun in the back, taking orders, and talking story with his guests,” according to his nephew. He later worked at Foodland and was a regular at Tokyo Tei and Tasty Crust, two Wailuku eateries favored by locals. “He was opinionated and didn’t suffer fools, but he was funny, extremely generous and extremely loyal to those he loved.”

FINDING OHANA

>> A validated list of names of those unaccounted for is available at mauipolice.com . If you recognize a name on the list and know the person to be safe, or if you have additional information about the person that may help locate them, call the FBI at 888-814-7693 or visit fbi.gov/MauiFires .

>> To file a missing persons report, call the Maui Police Department at 808-244-6400 or email [email protected] and provide the reporting person’s first and last name, contact information and relationship to the unaccounted-for individual, as well as the individual’s first and last name, age or date of birth, last known location and last known physical address of residence.

>> Immediate family members (parent, sibling or child) may provide a DNA sample by calling the Family Assistance Center at 808-270-7771 or emailing [email protected] to schedule an appointment at one of the center’s locations. Family members who live outside Maui should call the FBI at 808-566-4300 or email [email protected]. DNA samples are only for identification of wildfire victims and survivors and will not be stored or used for any other purpose.

Send info on Lahaina fire victims to [email protected].

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Maui Depends on Tourists. After the Fires, It Also Wants Them to Stay Away

A s thousands of Hawaiian citizens have been displaced by intense wildfires that devastated the Maui town of Lahaina and left at least 111 people dead, locals are pleading with tourists to stay away.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority said in a statement updated on Aug. 15 that non-essential travel to Maui should be avoided “for the near future.” Many people in the region have heeded evacuation warnings, with as many as 46,000 people, including tourists, flying out of Kahului Airport since the fires broke out on Aug. 8, according to the statement. 

The natural disaster was sparked by a combination of Maui’s dry weather conditions, low humidity, and strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which traveled across the Pacific Ocean around 700 miles to the south. As the fire spread, images coming out of Maui showed people jumping into the ocean to escape the billowing smoke and flames that blazed through the island. Hawaii’s Big Island has also incurred some damage from the wildfires, although not as much as Maui. 

Read more: How to Help Those Affected by the Maui Wildfires

But despite this month’s catastrophe and subsequent pleas from residents, some tourists are carrying on with their holiday business as usual. 

Here’s what to know about the state of tourism on the islands. 

Hawaii’s tourism economy

Governor Josh Green reiterated the essential travel policy in his emergency proclamation on Aug. 13, which noted that hotels and accommodations are needed to house displaced people and aid workers. Green has also expressed a desire to work with Airbnb to ensure rentals prioritize those who lost their homes. However, he later also noted that a complete travel ban would leave many people without jobs: "When you restrict any travel to a region, you really devastate its own local residents in many ways more than anyone else,” he said.

Maui as a whole is an engine of Hawaii tourism, the state’s biggest industry. Maui received 2.9 million visitors in 2022, 31% of Hawaii’s total, and they spent $5.7 billion, according to the Hawai’i Tourism Authority . Lahaina and surrounding areas in West Maui are home to most of the island’s hotels. Lahaina has long been a significant tourist draw because of its unique history; the town was chosen to be the royal capital by King Kamehameha II in 1802 and it remained so for 50 years. 

Read more: The History Lost in the Maui Wildfires

‘Now is not the time’ for tourism on Maui

Over the weekend, West Maui councilwoman Tamara Paltin shared a Facebook Live video in which she urged tourists not to travel to West Maui. She added that residents in nearby Leiali’i and Punakea cited a number of tourists still arriving in the neighborhoods to fulfill travel reservations they had made.

“We don’t want to be seeing people on vacation when we’re trying to pull our lives back together. We don’t want our roads closed because tourists can’t follow directions,” Paltin said. “If you’re a tourist, don’t come to Lahaina. I don’t care if you have reservations, now is not the time …go someplace else, please,” she urged. 

Following an excursion tour on Aug.11, Maui Snorkeling, a tour company, issued an online apology for bringing tourists to snorkel in waters off Lahaina, which were still being searched for missing citizens who had jumped in to escape the fires. The company said it would donate all proceeds to Maui’s food bank.  

When Paris Hilton was photographed vacationing with her husband and son at an exclusive resort in Wailea, just 30 miles away from Lahaina, it led to a wave of backlash on social media, with critics calling the decision thoughtless. Hilton reportedly arrived on the day the wildfires began and had since shared social media posts by the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has launched a fund to support locals.

How tourism changed life on Maui

In 1999, operations at Lahaina’s historic sugar mill ceased. The closure marked a turning point for Maui’s economy, as it pivoted from agriculture towards the hospitality industry. Now, the island relies on tourist wealth, and many of the wetlands that once irrigated crops have been paved over for the construction of luxury resorts and holiday rentals. 

Read more: Why the Maui Wildfires Were So Deadly

Tourism accounts for around 80% of Maui’s wealth, according to the island's economic development board, with approximately four out of every five dollars generated by the industry’s activity. A resulting surge in the cost of living has driven out many Native Hawaiians , who are often left struggling to preserve their ancestral lands. During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel rates dipped, but a post-pandemic boom in visitors coming to Maui led to stories of locals overwhelmed by the demands of tourism, which has depleted natural resources and disrupted public facilities.

In an emergency proclamation on housing published in July, Governor Green’s office noted that Hawaii is the state with the most expensive housing in the U.S., with a median price of $850,000 for a single family home. Last month, the median house price in Lahaina was some $1.5 million, according to listings on real estate website Realtor.  

Meanwhile, around 36% of Maui residents are scraping along below the basic cost of living—known locally as the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) threshold—while 16% were below the poverty line, according to 2022 statistics. 

The wealth and privilege disparity between locals and tourists is only widening. In 2021, amid a summer of drought, Maui residents were subjected to fines of $500 for non-essential water use. But luxury hotels and resorts were allowed to maintain their pools and grounds to welcome as many as 8,000 travelers a day during the peak season.

What does the future of Maui look like?

It is too early to tell whether and how Maui’s wildfires will affect tourism on the island in the long term. But in the immediate future, tourism as Maui knows it is stagnant. Restaurants and shops have incurred damage, which could likely lead to job losses among the local community. Approximately one in five employees in Maui country are hired in the hospitality industry, where the average salary is $52,322, according data released by the state.

Column: The Climate Crisis and Colonialism Destroyed My Maui Home. Where We Must Go From Here

Officials aware of both the level of devastation with which residents are coping and the integral role of tourist dollars in the local economy are left walking a fine line. “Please don’t go to the west side of Maui—to West Maui. Obviously, there’s so much going on with trying to rebuild it. But the rest of Maui is still open,” Maui county mayor Richard Bissen said during a weekend press conference.

He added: “As far as tourism is concerned, that’s a major driver of our economy here.”

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Write to Armani Syed at [email protected]

Column: As Lahaina mourns tragedy, another crisis is coming

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It’s easy to characterize Lahaina as a tourist town, though it was much more.

Was. Before the fire.

“What was Lahaina is no longer Lahaina,” Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey told me Thursday.

She’s the chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and she was evacuated from a mountain enclave during the recent blazes — waking up at 3 a.m. to the blare of a cellphone alert. She grabbed her two golden retrievers and headed to her daughter’s house through winds so strong it felt like a hurricane, flames visible on the brown hills.

Everything to be said about Lahaina — the physical place, if not its soul — is now past tense, she said. In a community of 13,000, 67 are confirmed dead with the search continuing as of Friday. More than 270 structures are gone, and hundreds of people remain unaccounted for.

World & Nation

Photos: Maui devastated by deadly wildfire

A Maui tourist hub looks like a wasteland, with homes and entire blocks reduced to ashes in one of the deadliest U.S. blazes in recent years.

Aug. 11, 2023

And though the trauma is still too fresh to fully comprehend, we know thousands are displaced right now. At a minimum, hundreds will have no home to return to when authorities open the roads and allow people to return.

“This is like climate change saying welcome to the rest of our lives,” Camilo Mora told me Thursday from Colombia, where he is visiting from his adopted home on Oahu. He’s a professor of geography and environment at the University of Hawaii, specializing in the ways our planet is changing.

Rebuild | Reburn: Should we be rebuilding tiny, vulnerable Northern California towns?

California needs a plan for how and where we will live in the future.

Sept. 27, 2022

For Mora, who has made it his personal mission to help Hawaii become more resilient to the rising global thermometer, the catastrophe of Lahaina was “not surprising at all.”

The age of climate change has exploded into the age of climate migration — though we have yet to collectively acknowledge it — and an urgent need to be realistic about what is coming and how we adapt. We can no longer pretend that ingenuity and perseverance will overcome the perils of our warming planet.

Islands have long been the bellwether of climate change, with rising sea levels, rising temperatures, vulnerability to drought (it’s hard to ship water in when it runs out) and, increasingly, weather extremes from wildfires to floods.

They are also expensive places to live, in no small part because tourist economies are a double-edged sword that can drive up costs.

Islands like Maui make it obvious that global warming is an economic and equity issue as much as an environmental one, because only the wealthy will be able to recover quickly. Only the lucky and resourceful will be able to recover at all.

Too many will simply find themselves on a downward trajectory of instability and poverty that makes rebuilding a house or a life in the same place impossible — as we have seen in other fire-devastated towns such as Paradise, Calif. Government aid has yet to find a way to sufficiently protect against this ugly and unpopular fact. But we are increasingly seeing something that previously felt as though it happens only in far-away places: Natural disasters driving away whole populations.

“This is moving from concerning to terrifying when you see this happening in your backyard,” Mora said.

Just a few days ago, Front Street, Lahaina’s main tourist drag, was crowded with shops and restaurants that catered to day-drinking vacationers, many from California — myself included.

I was there with my family last week, an annual getaway that we have honed into regular stops in this picturesque place with its 1 50-year-old Banyan tree that covers an entire block, reportedly now charred and leafless, and a promenade with glorious views across the harbor.

Sushi, gelato, bikini shopping for teenagers — we had it down to an art.

Outside of the historic Baldwin House, we stopped to watch a family of wild chickens, which roam free just about everywhere on Maui, then lined up for a ferry ride to Lanai to visit the cat sanctuary on an island owned by a billionaire.

In between, my oldest bought a shot glass souvenir to add to a collection.

Pure tourists, like the thousands of folks around us, were hanging out in Lahaina on a break from the beach, fueling its economy and its image as a place for mai tais in oversized glasses.

But Lahaina is different from other vacation spots on Maui — such as Kapalua to the north or Wailea to the south — where the community was created for outsiders. There, you’ll find the Ritz-Carltons and Fairmonts, the 18-hole golf courses and gated second or third homes of the wealthy.

Residents of Lahaina, by contrast, “are a community that depends on each other,” Lindsey said. “They are almost like a whole big family.”

The downside of all that tourism is inflated prices, especially for real estate. Maui is considered Hawaii’s least-affordable county, with a median home price topping $1 million. It would require a $200,000 annual salary to buy the average single-family home, and then would require nearly 100% of annual average wages to pay for it.

In Lahaina, the median household income is about $80,000, but the median price for a home is more than $700,000, already unaffordable before this havoc.

A program in Maui that offers $30,000 in down payment assistance has had trouble finding takers because applicants simply don’t have enough financial stability to meet lending requirements, even with the help.

Renting is no better. Some affordable housing communities in Maui — of which there are not enough — have wait lists 12 years long. Fixing that backlog was a key topic in the last mayor’s race, but even with a new administration that has prioritized building, more units remain years away.

How to help Maui residents displaced by the devastating wildfires

Wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed at least 36 people, displaced thousands of residents and destroyed hundreds of structures, including homes, businesses and a school, prompting President Biden to declare a “major disaster.”

Aug. 10, 2023

Lahaina was once the residence of King Kamehameha III, who conquered the chiefs of all the other islands to unify Hawaii. Later, Lahaina became the capital of that kingdom until 1845, when it was moved to Honolulu. Through various eras of the island’s history, it has been a center for whaling, for the shipping of sugarcane and pineapples and even for spiritual life, from the traditions of its Native people that honor ocean and land to the missionaries who brought the gods of the West.

“There is so much history that will be forever lost, a history that tethers all of us, young and old, not only to the ʻāina [respect for the land], but to ourselves and to each other,” Lindsey wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Through all of that history, Lahaina has remained a town for locals, a place where people went to school, worked and lived in the modest single-story homes that seem both weathered and idyllic to this outsider.

There was a Catholic Church where the bell tolled regularly and where the doors were always wide open. A nearby house was selling a litter of golden retriever puppies while we were there. Down the street, workers on their lunch break ate Spam musubi.

I have covered my share of wildfires, and I can tell you what they will find when they do come back: Knee-deep ashes made from their possessions; car rims melted into puddles from the impossible heat; bits and pieces that somehow survived — a ring, a book, a singed photo.

And then the realization that they have lost not just everything they have, but everything they have known. They are alive, but without the life that only days ago seemed stable, if imperfect.

They have become climate migrants who will be forced to live elsewhere, maybe for weeks, likely for months or years if not forever. The family ethos that was the heart of Lahaina will be stretched and frayed as people focus on survival. Keeping that intact, the “most important thing,” as Lindsey describes it, will be even harder than rebuilding the physical structures.

She points out that the Native traditions and a love of the land hold people to this place more than most. She thinks people will stay in Maui, and in Lahaina. But she also saw Maui locals arriving at the airport in Oahu when she traveled there for a meeting Thursday.

“I was just so shocked,” she told me. “And then I thought, ‘Well, I can understand.’”

Because climate disasters don’t just dislocate people, they break apart communities and those ethereal ties that bind in ways that are not apparent until they are missing. There are no blueprints for rebuilding those.

This is what Mother Nature is screaming at us, as we try to ignore her. There are things we can never put back together once they are gone.

The town of Lahaina will be rebuilt as something new, probably led by the tourist economy. There will be gelato and mai tais.

The soul of Lahaina is a different matter. Now is a time of grief for so many lost loved ones, a time to offer help and respect.

Healing will come later. Many will stay and rebuild.

But what was no longer is, and the ties that bind climate change to personal chaos are growing with monstrous speed.

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

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Anita Chabria is a California columnist for the Los Angeles Times, based in Sacramento. Before joining The Times, she worked for the Sacramento Bee as a member of its statewide investigative team and previously covered criminal justice and City Hall.

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'Too much to bear': Incalculable emotional toll of Maui wildfires as death toll rises to 114

MAUI, HAWAII -- David Gobel, his wife and their four children reluctantly plan to leave Maui after losing their home in the deadly wildfire that left historic Lahaina in ruins, CNN reported .

"Where are we going to live? Where are we going to work?" he asked.

The Oahu native will move to San Diego, where his brother lives. He will work for a time until he can be reunited with his family. His wife, with the kids in tow, plans to head to Mexico to stay with her parents for now.

"Our rough draft is to move with hopes of returning," said Gobel, who worked as a bartender at a Maui tourist resort but is now unemployed.

SEE ALSO | Maui's emergency services chief resigns after facing criticism for not activating sirens during fire

Lahaina, which translated means "cruel sun," is now almost completely gone. The economic and cultural heart of the island was reduced to an ashen landscape in the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years.

At least 114 people have died in the western Maui wildfires and more than 1,000 people remain missing. With nearly 3,000 homes and businesses destroyed or damaged, losses are estimated to be $6 billion, state officials said.

On top of the widespread destruction and devastating loss of life, the wildfires are taking an incalculable emotional toll on many residents of a tight-knit island community who now face a hard choice: Move and start over elsewhere. Or stay and rebuild from scratch.

"Every day I'm looking through the list of people who are missing and I find someone else I know," said Kaniela Ing, a former state legislator and Native Hawaiian community organizer whose family has been on Maui for seven generations.

"Normally it's clear. There's something to fight against. There's something we need to protect and hold on to. And there's someone that's trying to take it away. And it's just really easy to galvanize," he said of the latest calamity in the island's turbulent history, starting with the overthrow of its monarchy by American-backed insurrectionists in 1893.

"This tragedy is different. There are so many moving pieces, and folks are just sad."

'We're in survival mode'

The devastation from multiple fires on August 8 extends beyond Lahaina.

In the central Maui town of Kula, about 40 miles away, Carol Ross stood in the incinerated remains of what was supposed to be her retirement home.

"We were going to renovate it," said Ross, who's from Oahu and raised her children on Maui.

The family that rented the house evacuated safely. But the fast-moving, wind-whipped blaze consumed virtually everything else. Ross and her husband had planned to settle down there in a couple of years. Now a towering stone chimney stands over charred ruins. A soot-covered dog bowl sits nearby.

READ MORE | Woman reunites with stranger who carried her on his back to evacuate Maui wildfires

"Here was a lanai that could have barbecues and everything," she said, motioning to a scorched patch of earth and rubble where the covered porch once stood.

Instead of renovating, Ross vowed, she and her husband will rebuild their retirement home from scratch.

"We're in survival mode," she said, adding that her family will "just go forth and do the best you can. For me, it's other people. Just doing things for others... There's other people that are worse off than us. Sure we lost a house, but life matters more."

On Monday, President Joe Biden and the first lady will travel to Maui, where locals have set up and manned makeshift relief centers to dispense water, food, fuel, ice, diapers and other supplies to survivors.

"True to the nature of Hawaii - Hawaiians and the locals and the residents and those people like me whose heart is here - every catastrophe, every disaster, it's not going to kill us," said Brenda Keau, whose husband gave his DNA to authorities in case the remains of his 83-year-old mother are among the victims recovered by authorities but as yet unidentified.

"It's just going to bring us closer together and make us stronger."

'Without Hawaiians, it's not going to be Hawaii'

Activists hope to galvanize residents amid widespread concerns that speculators are moving to snap up the land on which homes were destroyed. They fear the plans of moneyed developers will take precedence over the needs of locals.

"Right now there are predatory land speculators, real estate interests hovering above the wreckage like vultures, calling people who are just in their darkest place, who have lost everything, to try to get a hold of the land," Ing said.

"The people of Lahaina and Maui generally need time to grieve and heal. But unfortunately, at the same time, we're going to have to figure out how to ensure a just recovery and build the power to actually fight back."

Longtime residents worry that Maui will be transformed into another Waikiki - Oahu's main hotel and resort spot, with highrise hotels lining the shore - with old timers and native Hawaiians pushed out.

"Without Hawaiians, it's not going to be Hawaii," said Kapono Kong, who lives on the west side of Maui. "With no Hawaiians, there's no aloha."

Residents want a voice in the years-long rebuilding process after they've been allowed time to grieve.

SEE ALSO | Maui wildfire victims include man found shielding beloved pet dog, local know as 'Uncle Joe'

"There's a lot of opportunity ahead. So it's not all doom and gloom," Ing said. "I think folks are just asking for a little bit of room to grieve and heal and more accountability from state, federal and local agencies."

Survivors, many still mourning friends, neighbors and relatives, are wary of outsiders making predatory land grabs. For many locals and Native Hawaiians, the concerns are real and deeply rooted in a history where generations have been priced out of their familial homes.

"The idea that some of these families who have lived in Lahaina since before the statehood or even territory days have to move somewhere else is really a tragic thing," said Ing, who is national director of the climate justice organization Green New Deal Network.

"They just held on, somehow, despite the gentrification, but of course the fire is the force that may be too much to bear."

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green insisted on Friday that residents will have a voice in the rebuilding.

"Let me be clear. Lahaina belongs to its people and we are committed to rebuilding and restoring it the way they want it," Green said in a video statement.

The land in Lahaina is "reserved for its people ... as they return and rebuild," Green said. He reiterated that the state will make sure outsiders do not capitalize on the tragedy as an opportunity to acquire that land.

Lahaina resident Rick Avila, 65, lost his house to the blaze and worries about finding long-term affordable housing. He and his wife are temporarily staying at a friend's vacation rental, he said, but many others "feel like they have to leave the community."

"A lot of them are going to Kihei and Wailuku and Kahului - and then a lot of them are leaving the island completely," Avila - referring to three communities on the other side of Maui - said of friends and neighbors in the days since the fire.

Ariel Quiroz, a wedding painter who lives with his wife in Lahaina, returned to their house to find it still standing. Several nearby homes were destroyed.

"It's a mixed feeling and it's so complicated," he said. "It's like you don't allow yourself to feel happy and grateful that your house is still there because it's so tragic. It's so sad that people died there."

Quiroz added, "We're not selling."

"We want to be here for the rebuild and support as best we can," said his wife, Vanessa Castro. "And, you know, if you're not from here, you don't understand."

• Wildfire 'took a good soul'

Josue Vargas, 20, who lost his 15-year-old adopted brother in the Lahaina fire, said he will forever be grateful to Maui for giving him "a home and island and people that can never be replaced."

"I hope that there's a day where we can all be happy again," he said. "I'll say that Lahaina is just a beautiful town."

But his family and community need time to mourn the lives lost, including Keyiro Fuentes, his adopted brother.

"I hope he won't just be a number," he said of Keyiro's death. "That's one of the fears I had after I lost him, of him just being a number just like many others. The stories ... should be told. People should know. There are mothers, kids, babies, old folks, local communities that just got wiped out... Why did this happen?"

Keyiro, who loved the Japanese anime television series "Dragon Ball Z," was home with the family dog the morning of the fire. Vargas and his parents were working at a condo in another part of Maui.

READ MORE | Video puts scrutiny on possible cause of Maui wildfire

Vargas said he felt the urge to run to get Keyiro. They jumped in their car and sped toward home. Glowing pieces of ash rained from the sky. Palm trees burned like matchsticks.

"There were flames so tall. Taller than buildings I've ever seen," Vargas said. "Smoke so dark that it made one's eyes water... You could see people coming out of the flames."

The family reported the teen missing. Days later, neighbors took the Vargas clan to their burned home. They found Keyiro's charred body in what was once his bedroom. He was clutching the family dog. His father wrapped the remains of his adopted son in an aluminum blanket. Vargas said they later handed the remains to a police officer.

"We have a body," Vargas told the officer. "I'm sorry, mister officer, but I have the body of my brother."

Vargas told CNN, "He did not leave the house because he was waiting for us to go and save him. We weren't there for him. And they took a good soul, you know. The flames took more than just a home."

Vargas said he has been unable to sleep on a bed since the day Keyiro's charred remains were found.

"I don't want to feel comfort," he said. "I will keep continue sleeping on the floor, really feeling discomfort and knowing that my little brother did not deserve to go out that way."

A family splits, its future uncertain

Gobel lived for six years with his wife, Jasmine, and their four children - ages 3 to 16 - in Lahaina. Their house burned to the ground. The day of the fire they grabbed some belongings and jumped in the car with the kids. They made it as far as Front Street, the main road, where traffic was at a standstill.

"You heard from some people, you know, don't go that way," Gobel recalled. "Buildings down there are starting to catch on fire. So don't go that way. Turn around, go this way. Follow us."

The ferocity of the winds sent embers swirling through the air. A building on Front Street suddenly caught fire. The people stuck in traffic jumped out of their cars. Some, like Gobel and his family, climbed over the seawall as flames consumed one building, then another.

"My 12-year-old ... he's like, 'I'll take this bag and I'll go swim with it in the water. You guys have to have the kids... So we jumped in the water," Gobel recalled.

SEE ALSO | How to help Maui fire victims from afar: Organizations and efforts underway

"Waves started to come in and we're basically crashing into the rocks there. So we swam and tread water... Holding the kids... until we couldn't. We were too tired. We were too tired to swim."

The family returned to shore. They cowered behind the rocks and the seawall - a shield against the fast-moving flames. For hours, a wet Pokemon bed sheet protected them from a blizzard of embers.

"And my wife stuffed our youngest ... right up under her shirt," Gobel said. "And we covered them all up with that wet sheet and just hunkered down."

The next morning, first responders arrived and found the family up against the rocks. They were taken to a shelter and later moved to a hotel, where they will be staying for a month.

After 17 years, Gobel said, they plan on moving off the island and splitting up for a time. Whether their departure from Maui will be permanent, Gobel isn't sure. They hope to return.

"We had our home here," he said. "We made a nice home and we made a nice life here. A really nice life here. So, yeah, it's just ... completely starting over... I stay positive and think of it as, you know, a blank slate."

(The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

Related Topics

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Hawaii says it’s safe to surf and swim in Lahaina’s coastal waters after wildfire

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Hawaii authorities say coastal waters off the wildfire-stricken town of Lahaina pose no significant risk to human health and it’s safe to surf and swim there.

The state Department of Health announced the decision Thursday after reviewing water sampling test results collected by groups including University of Hawaii researchers, the Surfrider Foundation and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Authorities are continuing to limit access to some coastal areas off the Maui town’s burn zone as the cleanup from the Aug. 8 wildfire continues, and recreation won’t be allowed in these places.

Officials have been telling residents and visitors to limit their exposure to waters off Lahaina ever since the deadly fire destroyed the historic town. They’ve also told people to avoid eating fish from Lahaina’s waters. The department’s announcement didn’t address the safety of eating fish and other marine species.

Lahaina’s waters are popular with surfers, swimmers and snorkelers. Before the fire, tour companies would often take snorkelers to see coral reefs off the town. Since the fire, tours have been frequenting West Maui reefs to the north or south instead.

The department said it was particularly interested in test results for metals because of their elevated concentrations in wildfire ash and the possibility that rain and runoff could carry them into the ocean.

Measurements taken by University of Hawaii included assessments of nutrients, metals and carbonate chemistry. The Surfrider Foundation tested for metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are a class of chemicals occurring naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline.

The state analyzed harbor sediment samples for metals, dioxins, total petroleum hydrocarbons and other contaminants.

Scientists say there has never been another instance of a large urban fire burning next to a coral reef anywhere in the world. They are using the Maui wildfire as a chance to study how chemicals and metals from burned plastics, lead paint and lithium-ion batteries might affect delicate reef ecosystems.

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More than 100 dead as search for hundreds continues in Lahaina: Recap

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please click here for the latest updates .

Though the wildfires have mostly been contained, Hawaii residents are still reeling from the aftermath as families assess the devastating damage to their homes and identifications are released of some of the 106 people killed.

People have begun to share stories of those killed, including a 68-year-old man who died trying to protect his dog and a family of four who burned to death in their car near their home. Identifications are likely to be released slowly over the coming days as officials recover remains and notify families. 

Those who survived are scattered across at least 11 shelters that are serving more than 4,000 people, according to the Red Cross of Hawaii. Maui residents have also told NBC News they are frustrated as they move out of shelters and into hotels, which will be available for only 30 days. Families are seeking more permanent housing options after having lost their entire lives over just a few days. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is on the ground in Maui working on getting temporary rental assistance, as well as providing money and aiding search efforts. President Joe Biden promised “every asset” available from the federal government to help the state recover Tuesday. 

“It’s almost hollow ... ‘our thoughts and prayers with the people’ ... not just our prayers, every asset, every asset they need will be there for them,” Biden said at an event in Wisconsin. “And we will be there as long as it takes, as long as it takes.”

What to know about the deadly wildfires

• 106 people have been confirmed dead, while many others remain missing . Officials are expected to start identifying the dead today.
• Cadaver dogs are helping search Maui's charred ruins for the missing.
• The fires could pose long-term health risks to residents due to chemical compounds contaminating the air, water and wreckage, authorities have warned.
• The economic cost to Maui could come to $7 billion, Moody’s Analytics said Monday.

Timeline: How ferocious wildfires devastated Maui, hour by hour

• NBC News teams are on the ground and reporting from Maui.

106 remains recovered, county says

Maui County released the names tonight of two of the 106 victims of the wildfires.

The two victims were identified as Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both of Lahaina.

Three more victims have been identified but their names are being withheld pending next of kin notification, the county said in a statement.

The majority of the 106 fatalities have not been identified.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones,” Mayor Richard Bissen said in the statement. “As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time.”

Survivors of Maui fires set up their own aid network as trust in government falters

Jon Schuppe

Corky Siemaszko

WAILEA, Hawaii — One week after wildfires roared across Maui and devoured their property, residents who have called Maui home for generations were watching over the ashes.

Distrustful of the government’s response to a tragedy that has already  displaced hundreds of families  and fearful of outsiders’ swooping in to take their ancestral homes, they were organizing their own relief efforts to get food and supplies to people who are unwilling or unable to venture far from their destroyed properties.

“We are taking charge,” Maui County Council Vice Chair  Keani Rawlins-Fernandez  said Tuesday.

Read the full story here.

For Lahaina couple expecting a child, there was no more time to hope

KIHEI, Hawaii — After the power went out in Lahaina and after smoke was seen from a wildfire that would later sweep into the town, Tasha Anderson “was in denial.”

They had seen other storms and other fires, and they were always able to return later.

“I just didn’t want to leave, like, where we had built the nursery, where we were going to bring our baby home to,” Anderson, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, said today.

Her fiancé, Kevin Campbell, got on a scooter to check the condition of the fire. He said what he saw was not like past experiences.

“The flames, the wind had just taken this fire and made it so much more than a normal fire,” he said. “It was jumping from building to building. It was crossing the street. It was catching a tree and then catching a house.”

When Anderson heard the panic in Campbell’s voice, they got in a car and left, grabbing almost nothing.

Homeless shelter among the buildings destroyed in Lahaina

David Douglas

A 78-unit Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers shelter was among the buildings destroyed in the wildfire that burned into Lahaina, the organization said.

KHAKO Executive Director Monique R. Ibarra said she saw the destruction firsthand with a police escort.

“All the buildings are gone. Wildfire reduced them to ashes and debris,” she said in a statement on the group’s website .

“This morning, I informed the residents who escaped Tuesday afternoon with little more than the clothes they were wearing. It was heartbreaking,” she wrote.

Some of the units were for emergency shelter for families and people making the transition from homelessness to permanent housing, the organization said.

Many on Maui will need shelter in the wake of the destruction in Lahaina, Gov. Josh Green has said. He said over 500 hotel rooms have been identified and are available.

"Hundreds of families and thousands of individuals" have lost either the residences they own or where they have been renting, Green said today.

Road by Lahaina in West Maui to be reopened, governor says

Phil Helsel

A major road by the fire-ravaged Lahaina area in West Maui will be reopened tonight for some groups and tomorrow during the day for everyone, the governor said.

“No one will be able to go into the impact zone where the tragedy has occurred,” Gov. Josh Green said, but he said the decision will allow freer movement in West Maui.

The Lahaina Bypass will be opened starting at 6 o’clock tonight until 6 a.m. for residents, first responders and employees of the region, he said.

Starting tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., it will be opened to everyone, and that will be a regular schedule, he said.

10 p.m. to 6 a.m. will be for necessary travel for residents and first responders, he said.

“Were trying to get back to normal so that people’s lives can begin to, in some ways, be reconnected to the other side of the island,” Green said.

Confirmed deaths in Maui wildfires rise to 101

The number of confirmed deaths in the wildfires in Maui that devastated the town of Lahaina has risen to 101, Gov. Josh Green said today.

The previous number was 99. Surveys and searches of burned areas are continuing.

Green said more than 1,000 first responders from around the world are assisting after the tragedy. The fire that broke out in Lahaina was one of several in Maui on Aug. 8.

"We are heartsick that we’ve had such loss," Green said.

Daniel Arkin

Nirma Hasty

Monstrous, windswept wildfires ripped through the Hawaiian island of Maui last week, charring communities and killing at least 100 people.

NBC News reconstructed a timeline of events based on public advisories, state government warnings, eyewitness accounts and videos posted on social media.

4 of Maui’s wildfire dead have been identified; DNA taken from relatives

Four of the sets of remains found after Maui’s wildfires have been identified, Maui County said in an update this morning Hawaii time.

The identities of the four will be released once their families are notified, the county said.

Investigators have obtained DNA profiles of 13 more people, and 41 DNA samples have been obtained from family members of people who are unaccounted for, the county said.

Relatives who wish to provide DNA to help in the search can go to a Family Assistance Center, the county said.

Franklin Trejos was among those killed. He died sheltering a golden retriever, longtime friends said. "Just the friendliest guy you would ever meet," Shannon Weber-Bogar recalled.

Maui police: Hope is to search 85% of burned area by weekend

More areas of Maui’s deadly wildfire were searched today, with 32% of the disaster zone having been covered, Maui County said in an update.

Previously, 25% had been searched. Dogs are being used to locate remains in and around Lahaina, the West Maui town that burned when a wind-whipped fire swept in last week.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said at a news conference yesterday that it is hoped that 85% to 90% can be searched by the weekend.

In some cases, dogs have helped find remains after initial searches have been done and searchers retraced where they had been, Pelletier said.

“We don’t want to miss anything,” Pelletier said.

Ninety-nine deaths have been confirmed. The number could rise as more searches are done.

Biden says he and first lady will go to Hawaii as soon as they can

Hawaii residents displaced by fire, forced into shelters.

Lindsay Good

David K. Li

The Maui wildfires have forced evacuees to spend 4,000 stays in shelters so far during the ongoing disaster, officials said Tuesday.

Those residents have been staying at 11 shelters, as more than 270 volunteers have jumped into action, according to the Red Cross of Hawaii .

"Our work is just beginning," the relief organization said. "We’re working with our partners to get help to where it is needed as quickly as possible."

Pilot vacationing on Maui volunteered to fly plane as fires raged, helping 330 people get off island

Marlene Lenthang

A United Airlines pilot vacationing on Maui volunteered to fly a plane off the  wildfire-engulfed island , helping 330 people get home safely. 

Capt. Vince Eckelkamp, of Colorado, told NBC News today that he was scheduled to fly from Maui to Denver last Tuesday after a six-day vacation with his wife and daughter. 

Around 4 a.m. that morning, the power in his hotel went out due to gusty winds that downed power lines. The family packed their bags in the dark and planned to head to Kahului Airport early, but soon found there was no cell service available. 

To get to the airport, Eckelkamp’s family drove through the historic town of Lahaina — only a few hours  before it turned into an inferno .

Disasters like Maui fire open door to charity scammers and fraud, officials say

Federal prosecutors warned the public today to be on the lookout for heartless scammers who won't "hesitate to take advantage of the challenging times to commit fraud and other crimes."

Telltale signs of a scam will include requests for personal information, such as bank account numbers and Social Security numbers, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Hawaii said in a statement.

"As the devastation of our communities on Maui and Hawaii Island continues to unfold, local and national organizations have created ways for volunteers to assist as well as to provide donations of food, money and other resources," prosecutors said.

"While such efforts provide critical aid, we know that during periods of tremendous need like this, criminals do not hesitate to take advantage of the challenging times to commit fraud and other crimes," the statement continued.

Maui wildfire becomes latest fodder for disaster conspiracy theorists

Kalhan Rosenblatt

As Maui reckons with the  deadliest wildfire in recent U.S. history , it is also dealing with a digital nightmare that has become common around major news stories: social media-fueled conspiracy theories. 

Fires have ravaged and destroyed parts of West Maui, hitting the historic community of Lahania particularly hard. At least 99 people are dead and the economic cost of the fires could balloon to $7 billion. 

It’s still unclear what caused the fires, but the severity of the destruction in West Maui has been attributed in part to a  confluence  of high winds from Hurricane Dora in the Pacific and drought in the region. Wildfires have been  a known risk in the area  for years.

That hasn’t stopped would-be social media sleuths from attempting to uncover a nonexistent plot to start the fires. 

One of the most prevalent and outlandish theories is that the fires were caused by some kind of secret “energy weapon,” a relatively common conspiracy trope that has been repurposed in recent years around a variety of events,  including previous wildfires . Some have misrepresented an image of a SpaceX rocket launch as evidence that some kind of weapon used a beam to cause an explosion on the island. 

Biden says he spoke with Gov. Green and FEMA officials, promises 'every asset' in response to fire

President Joe Biden, speaking Tuesday at an event in Wisconsin, promised “every asset” from the federal government in response to the Hawaii wildfires.

“They’ve claimed the lives of 99 people so far,” Biden said. “They haven’t cleaned things up yet. The deadliest wildfire more than 100 years, whole city destroyed. Generations of native Hawaiian history turned into ruin.”

“And think about this, all that area. They gotta plow up," he continued. "They can’t do it now because you don’t know how many bodies, you don’t know what’s left. Imagine being a mom or dad, wondering where your child is. Imagine being a husband or wife or mother, father. It’s really tough stuff.”

Biden said he’s spoken with Gov. Josh Green multiple times and almost 500 federal personnel have been deployed to the state. He said that he and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Hawaii as soon as possible, but don’t want to disrupt rescue and recovery efforts.

“In the meantime, you always hear this phrase and I’ve done so many disasters in my career. It’s almost hollow ... 'our thoughts and prayers with the people' ... not just our prayers, every asset, every asset they need will be there for them. And we will be there as long as it takes, as long as it takes.”

GOP slams Biden for going 4 days without talking about Maui fires

Peter Nicholas

Megan Lebowitz

Monica Alba

WASHINGTON — It’s the sort of split-screen moment that no White House relishes.

While Maui counted its dead Sunday, President Joe Biden sat on the beach in Delaware, rode his bicycle and said little about the deadliest wildfire to hit the U.S. in a century.

“We’re looking at it,” he said, pedaling past reporters who shouted at him as he whizzed by.

Biden first delivered remarks about the catastrophic fires on Thursday. The next day, his son became the subject of a federal special counsel investigation. And since then, Biden has said virtually nothing to the press — not about Hunter Biden, the fires or anything else.

Four days of silence haven’t gone unnoticed. Yesterday reporters pressed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about why he has not spoken out more; Republicans have piled on criticism that the president was failing to address the devastation; and today the conservative media juxtaposed pictures of Biden at the beach with footage of the fires.

Paris Hilton was vacationing on Maui when uncle’s restaurant burned down

Diana Dasrath

Paris Hilton drew criticism when photos obtained by the Daily Mail showed the star vacationing on Maui amid the wildfire catastrophe. 

A source close to Paris Hilton told NBC News that she had been on the island for a planned family trip, and Maui is like a second home for her. 

“Her uncle’s restaurant in Lahaina burned down, so they decided to shorten their trip and go to see their family and help where they could,” the source said. “When they arrived, they gathered supplies, donated to the local shelters and people in need, and made significant contributions.”

3,000 animals estimated to be displaced by wildfires

An estimated 3,000 animals are believed to have been displaced by the Maui wildfires, many of them likely needing “intense medical care,” the Maui Humane Society said Tuesday.

The organization shared a photo of a cat found by rescuers; they are calling it Alani, which means the color orange in Hawaiian. Based off his scorched coat, he “made his best efforts escaping the fires.” 

“All of his paw pads burned, his mouth swollen and painful. He was dehydrated and lifeless. He had no microchip or other signs of ownership,” the society wrote on Facebook. For now, Alani is on the mend getting daily foot soaks to treat his paws and medications.

"If Alani’s owners are out there, we want them to know that he is safe and recovering," the organization wrote. "Maui Humane Society is dedicated to reunifying pets with their owners."

68-year-old Lahaina resident died in car trying to protect golden retriever

Elizabeth Chuck

Shannon Weber-Bogar told NBC News her friend Franklin Trejos died shielding their 3-year-old golden retriever, Sam, in the wildfires that consumed Lahaina on Aug. 8.

Her husband, Geoff Bogar, found the bodies of Trejos and Sam in a car one day after the blaze tore through their neighborhood.  

Geoff Bogar told The Associated Press that he and Trejos tried to save the Bogars' house and help people in the neighborhood, but fled in their own cars when the flames drew near. 

Geoff Bogar said his car wouldn’t start and he broke through a window and crawled on the ground until a police patrol found him and he was taken to a hospital. When he returned the next day, he found the bones of 68-year-old Trejos, his friend of 35 years. 

Trejos, a native of Costa Rica, had lived for years with Bogar and his wife, helping her with her seizures when her husband couldn’t. He filled their lives with love and laughter, The Associated Press reported. 

Family of 4 died trying to escape wildfire

The Associated Press

Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, Salote Takafua, and her son, Tony Takafua died attempting to escape the wildfires that tore through Hawaii last week.

Their remains were found Thursday in a burned car near their home.

“The magnitude of our grief is indescribable,” read a statement from family members.

Lylas Kanemoto, who knew the Tone family, confirmed the devastating news Sunday.

“At least we have closure for them, but the loss and heartbreak is unbearable for many. We as a community has to just embrace each other and support our families, friends, and our community to our best of our abilities,” Kanemoto told The Associated Press by text message on Sunday.

A week into the disaster, airlines have evacuated over 32,000 from Maui

Since wildfires hit Hawaii last week, American Airlines operated 21 flights from Kahului Airport on Maui to the continental U.S., evacuating more than 4,200 people from the island, the airline said in an update Monday . 

American also worked with nonprofits to send in shipments of supplies such as nonperishable food, baby formula and diapers to the island. 

From Aug. 8 to Sunday, United Airlines transported more than 11,000 people off Maui, and flew in responders with the American Red Cross, Air Link and World Central Kitchen, the airline said in a statement.

Hawaii Airlines said in the first 72 hours of the disaster, hundreds of flights were operated and carried more than 17,000 people out of Kahului Airport.

Within the first week, more than 54,000 pounds of essential supplies were also transported to Maui including blood, medical supplies, communications equipment and animal kennels, according to the airline.

Chemicals released into air and water could pose long-term risks

Aria Bendix

Lauren Dunn

Patrick Martin

The fires that have been burning in Maui since Tuesday could pose long-term health risks to residents due to chemical compounds contaminating the air, water and wreckage, authorities and experts have warned.

The Hawaii State Health Department cautioned Friday that ash and dust from burned buildings might carry toxic chemicals like asbestos and lead. Many destroyed buildings in Lahaina — the hardest-hit community — may have contained these chemicals because they were built before lead and asbestos were phased out of construction in the 1970s.

“Things like lead and asbestos are sort of top of the list. Those are things that are in paint, in buildings, and then do not really get destroyed with burning, so they’re now in the ash and the dust,” said Diana Felton, Hawaii’s state toxicologist.

Felton said that there is some concern that people in Lahaina might inhale lead and asbestos particles in the air but that the bigger worry is that residents might unintentionally ingest the chemicals if they get on clothes or hands.

What FEMA's doing on the ground

Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson John Mills shared an update on what the agency is doing on Maui: providing money to survivors for critical needs, temporary rental assistance, getting people out of shelters and into hotels and aiding in search and rescue efforts. 

“This is a very somber and respectful process that we’re going through at the same time working across multiple lines of effort in mass care, emergency services, critical infrastructure and housing to figure out the next steps and support Maui County and support the state,” Mills said on NBC’s “TODAY” show Tuesday morning. 

Power and cell service is slowly being restored, Mills said, but there’s still a ways to go when it comes to searching charred buildings for victims.

Still, there are glimmers of hope from the vibrant community on the island. "Neighbors are really doing an amazing job. So many people are taking survivors into their homes and giving them a temporary place to live,” he said. 

Nearly 500 people affected by fires have been moved into hotels

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said nearly 500 people “impacted from the fires” are now being housed in hotels.

“We’re committed to working with our hotel and vacation rental industries to prioritize the temporary housing needs of our people,” Green tweeted Monday evening. “We mahalo them for their extraordinary efforts.”

He shared a video of a Lahaina native named Jacob, who lost his home in the fire and works at the Royal Lahaina Resort and is being temporarily housed and fed at the hotel with his immediate family. 

“My family we were able to make it here, I’ve accounted for everybody. My children, they are all good. We do have a special needs child, muscle dystrophy along with Down syndrome but due to the outreach and all the help and support we’ve been getting from clinics from his therapy sessions, all that, he’s doing just fine," Jacob said in the clip. "We’re just so grateful for everything everyone has done and please continue to support," he added.

Death toll remains at 99, officials say

Chantal Da Silva

The death toll of the Maui wildfire disaster remained at 99 as of late Monday evening local time, officials said.

At least three people killed in the wildfires had so far been identified as of 10 p.m. local time (4 a.m. ET Tuesday) Maui County officials said in an online update.

"Their names will be released after their families are notified," the county said.

Lahaina fire still around 85% contained, officials say

The fire in Lahaina was around 85 percent contained as of late Monday evening local time, officials said.

In an update on the wildfire disaster, Maui County said that as of 10 p.m. local time on Monday (4 a.m. ET on Tuesday) the fire had been at least 85 percent contained.

"Multiple fire crews are assigned to monitor and address any flareups," the county said, adding: "There are no active threats at this time."

The county noted that even when a fire is 100 percent contained, that does not mean it has been extinguished. "It means that firefighters have the blaze fully surrounded by a perimeter, inside which it can still burn. A fire is declared 'extinguished' when fire personnel believe there is nothing left burning."

Former Warriors coach Don Nelson opens Hawaii homes to victims

Former Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson is reportedly opening his short-term rental homes in Maui to those impacted by the deadly wildfires.

“We’re doing the best we can, but we only have space for about 24 people,” Nelson told the San Francisco Chronicle in a phone interview Monday. “There are thousands of people homeless right now. It’s overwhelming.”

Nelson started investing in local real estate in Maui back in 2011 shortly after settling into West Maui full-time, according to the outlet. Now, he said he is leasing his properties for free to those who have lost their homes in the wildfire.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nelson said. “This is home. Right now, it needs all our help.”

Japan ready to 'provide necessary assistance' if U.S. requests it

The Japanese government is ready to "provide necessary assistance" in response to the wildfires if the U.S. requests it, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

Japan has so far received reports of homes owned by Japanese nationals being damaged by the wildfires in Maui, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said in a daily news briefing. He said the government had not received any news of fatalities or injuries among Japanese nationals.

“Since the outbreak of the wildfire, we have been in close communication with the U.S. government as well as the Hawaiian state government, and we have informed them of our readiness to provide necessary assistance should they request it," he said.

Economic cost could be $7 billion, analysis finds

The economic cost to Maui from the wildfires could come up to $7 billion, Moody’s Analytics said Monday.

"Losses may be more than enough to suggest a brief but severe local recession," the financial services company said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green also said that the damage was estimated to be close to $6 billion.

He said “there has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years” and that Maui has faced challenges getting enough water to rural areas and to houses.

“We’re in the process of a comprehensive review that I’ve asked our attorney general to do, and there will be multiple reviews at every level to find out what the level of preparedness was,” Green said.

Search continues for the missing as death toll rises

The search for those missing in the Maui wildfires will continue on Tuesday after the death toll rose to nearly 100 people.

At least 99 people were confirmed to have died in the wildfires, officials said Monday. Officials were expected to begin identifying those killed on Tuesday, provided that their families have been notified of their deaths.

Searchers and cadaver dogs had so far covered around a quarter of the town of Lahaina as of Monday, officials said. They will continue their search in what Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said was likely to be the largest natural disaster in the state's history.

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Breaking news, body of ‘vampire,’ 22, found bloodless in abandoned italian church after possible ghost-hunting tiktok challenge: reports.

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The body of a French woman who was seen dressed like a “vampire” was found drained of blood with stab and gunshot wounds inside an abandoned church in Italy as police speculate she may have been taking part in a ghost-hunting TikTok challenge.

The body of Auriane Nathalie Laisne, 22, of Saint-Priest, near Lyon, was discovered by a hiker in a fetal position with her sweatshirt covered in blood from various wounds — days after her boyfriend Teima Sohaib allegedly killed her inside a deserted church in Aosta Valley, officials said according to Il Gazzettino .

Laisne had a domestic violence case opened in France against the 21-year-old Egyptian Italian who lived in Grenoble, France, which banned him from going near her, the outlet reported.

Police believe her death could be connected to a popular ghost-hunting TikTok challenge in France, according to CNN.

The case is a “classic femicide,” Il Giornale reported an official saying during a press conference. A murder investigation has also been opened in Grenoble.

“It is a classic femicide motivated by motives of possessiveness and control over the victim’s will,” Aosta prosecutor Luca Ceccanti said, according to Il Giornale .

“The person arrested in Lyon is seriously suspected of the crime of premeditated murder and other aggravating circumstances.”

A witness saw the pair dressed like “vampires” and described Laisne as “emaciated” and looking like a “corpse” before her death, the outlet reported.

“They were dressed like two Goths, all in dark. Like those boys who venerate death. I thought: two vampires,” the unidentified witness told the Italian outlet.

“And I also thought something else, for which I now feel very ashamed of: She was so pale, she looked like a corpse. I can no longer sleep knowing what happened.”

Police are also working to determine if Laisne’s death was a “consented murder” — or sacrifice — as she was found bloodless and had suffered a stab and three bullet wounds, CNN said.

Investigators believe she may have been stabbed with a camping knife and bled to death and was then shot twice in the neck and once in the abdomen after she died, medical examiner Roberto Testi and police said, according to the network.

Laisne’s body was found in the church near a bag of pink marshmallows and other grocery items, the outlet said.

Her blood was also scraped off the floor and removed from the crime scene, police said. There were no signs of struggle, CNN reported.

Days after Laisne’s corpse was discovered, Sohaib was arrested in Lyon.

The pair were believed to be traveling around Europe and had asked a resident of a nearby town where there were abandoned villages where they could camp, according to Il Gazzettino.

The abandoned church she was found in was not a part of tourist attractions and was little known even by residents, the Italian paper said.

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The Vessel, a Manhattan tourist site closed after suicides, will reopen later this year

The centerpiece sculpture at the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan's west side will reopen to the public later this year after a string of suicides forced its closure in 2021

NEW YORK -- The Vessel, a climbable sculpture that drew hordes of tourists to the Hudson Yards megadevelopment on Manhattan’s west side before a string of suicides forced its closure in 2021, will reopen to the public later this year with added safety measures.

The towering honeycomb-like attraction will feature new steel mesh barriers on several of its twisting stairways and platforms, according to a spokesperson for Related Companies, which owns Hudson Yards. The top level of the 150-foot (46-meter) structure will remain off limits.

The spokesperson did not confirm an exact date for the reopening but said the developer looked forward to welcoming visitors back later this year.

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick and fabricated in Venice, the Vessel opened in 2019 as the centerpiece of the glittering new Hudson Yards neighborhood, quickly becoming one of the city's prime tourist destinations. But after three people took their own lives by jumping off the structure in less than a year, it was closed to the public in early 2021.

The Vessel reopened soon after with new safety features like enhanced security, suicide prevention signs and a ban on hiking up the steps alone — but without the barriers requested by some Manhattan officials and the local community board. Just two months later, it was closed once again, after a 14-year-old visiting the city with his family fatally leapt from the edge.

The structure has remained locked to the public ever since as developers have investigated the feasibility of additional protections, such as netting.

A spokesperson for Related said the new steel mesh would be cut-resistant and able to withstand the outdoor elements without compromising the Vessel’s form or views.

Jessica Chait, the chair of the Manhattan community board, praised the upgrades but said they should have happened sooner.

“While we think it took Related four lives too many to make these physical adjustments, these are the changes we requested, which will allow for prioritizing the safety of everyone who visits the Vessel," she said.

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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi and Will Reid

With Clare Toeniskoetter and Lynsea Garrison

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Rowan Niemisto ,  Dan Powell ,  Pat McCusker and Will Reid

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

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How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

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Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

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One dead, 11 others injured after shuttle bus plows into group near Honolulu cruise port

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - One person is dead and 11 others were injured Friday when a shuttle bus driver dropping off passengers near a Honolulu cruise ship terminal hit the gas instead of the brake, pinning several people against concrete barriers, first responders said.

Honolulu EMS said a 68-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and police traffic investigators confirmed she later died. There were four others who were seriously injured: A 67-year-old man, a 67-year-old woman, a 55-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man.

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii said the woman who died and the four others who were seriously injured are from Illinois, and that they are being offered assistance.

Additionally, a man in his 70s was taken to the hospital in stable condition while six other adults, ranging in age from their 40s to their 70s, suffered minor injures and declined transport.

Multiple EMS units with paramedics and EMTs responded to the scene at Pier 2 about 10:20 a.m.

Honolulu police said the incident happened in a private parking lot when a 57-year-old driver dropping people off and picking others up was notified that his vehicle was moving forward. He jumped into the driver’s seat to stop it, but pressed the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

Florida ER nurse Janet Lightfoot, on a cruise with her mom, jumped into action to help.

The two had just disembarked Friday morning and were waiting for a shuttle to go shopping when they saw a bus with a Hilo Hatties logo heading toward a crowd of people.

“Somebody screamed, and then I looked over and the bus hit into the crowd,” she said.

“It just kept going until it hit the wall there. Big cement block was pushed out and the bus hit into the wall. I ran over and kind of started triaging people and trying to help.”

Lightfoot said she’s accustomed to seeing traumatic injuries, but “this is just different.”

“We’re on vacation. The husband of one of the family members was there and just sad.”

Bystanders said the chaotic scene unfolded in seconds.

“It was shocking,” said witness Mike Frost.

Added Linda Reck, also visiting from Florida, “It just kept going and and my daughter yells out, ‘There’s nobody driving the bus.’ And then poof, it hits the wall.”

Honolulu police said it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol are factors in the crash.

This story will be updated.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Elephant attack leaves American woman dead in Zambia's Kafue National Park

By Sarah Carter , Adam Duxter

Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 6:13 PM EDT / CBS News

Johannesburg — An elephant attack that left an American woman dead in Zambia was captured in harrowing cellphone video over the weekend. The clip, shot by tourists in Zambia's Kafue National Park, begins inside an open safari vehicle during a game drive.

In the distance, a large bull elephant can be seen coming toward the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard, saying: "Oh my goodness," before a man says, "it's coming fast."

The vehicle stops and then another voice, presumably the game ranger, tries to ward off the elephant verbally as the large pachyderm hooks its tusks onto the vehicle and rolls it several times.

Family members  confirmed that Gail Mattson, a 79-year-old Minnesotan, was killed in the attack. In the post on Facebook, Rona Wells said her mother had died in "a tragic accident while on her dream adventure."

Mattson, a retired loan officer, was 11 days into a month-long vacation overseas, her family told WCCO, describing her as "adventurous" and "loved by everybody."

Wilderness Safaris, which operates the tour in the Zambian park, said in a statement that it was cooperating with national authorities to investigate the incident and it offered condolences to Mattson's family.

Wilderness said the other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans, four of whom sustained minor injuries in the attack.

"Our guides are extremely well trained, but sadly the terrain and vegetation was such that the route became blocked," the company said, explaining that the ranger "could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough."

Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.

Kafue National Park is Zambia's largest national park at 8,650 square miles. It's a popular tourist destination as it's home to five of sub-Saharan Africa's iconic big animal species, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros and buffalo.

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