Maui fires – latest: California woman named as first tourist among victims as residents start returning home

Authorities have confirmed 115 deaths following the deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the United States

President Biden and First Lady arrive in Maui

A California woman has been named as the first tourist to have died in the devastating Maui wildfires.

Officials identified 72-year-old Theresa Cook from Pollock Pines in northern California as among the victims of the deadly blaze in the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina.

Some 115 deaths have been confirmed following the deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the United States. The unconfirmed list of missing people currently stands at 1,100 names.

Hawaiian officials also pleaded with relatives of those missing to come forward and give DNA samples, saying the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the ashes.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with first responders and survivors on Monday and promised that the federal government would be with them “for as long as it takes” to rebuild the community.

Survivors were also voicing fears of a potential wave of land grabs by realtors and investors that could push Hawaiian locals from the island.

Key points

• California woman identified as victim of Hawaii fires
• Biden tells Hawaii that the US ‘grieves with you’ as he surveys Maui wildfire devastation
• How did Maui wildfires start?
• Maui officials say 100 per cent of residential properties searched
• Biden appoints new FEMA administrator to Maui

[23 August 2023 11:00 · Ariana Baio]

Concerns over ‘climate gentrification’ rise after devastating Maui fires

More than 3,000 buildings in Lahaina were damaged by fire, smoke or both. Insured property losses alone already total some $3.2 billion, according to Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling firm.

With a housing crisis that has priced out many Native Hawaiians as well as families that have been there for decades, concerns are rising that the state could become the latest example of “climate gentrification,” when it becomes harder for local people to afford housing in safer areas after a climate-amped disaster.

Jennifer Gray Thompson is CEO of After the Fire USA, a wildfire recovery and resiliency organization in the western U.S., and worked for Sonoma County during the destructive Tubbs Fire in October 2017. Thompson said Maui is one of the “scariest opportunities for gentrification” that she’s seen because of “the very high land values and the intense level of trauma and the people who are unscrupulous who will come in to try to take advantage of that.”

Thompson predicted potential developers and investors will research who has mortgages and said Maui residents should expect cold calls. “You won’t be able to go to a grocery store without a flyer attached to your car,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

[23 August 2023 12:00 · Ariana Baio]

How to help victims of Hawaii wildfires

Thousands of Hawaii citizens have been displaced following wildfires that devastated the historic town of Lahaina in Maui.

Hawaii’s governor Josh Green has estimated that billions of dollars will be needed to fully recover.

Here is a list of resources to help those impacted by the natural disaster.

[23 August 2023 12:49 · Rachel Sharp]

Number of missing rises to 1,100

The number of people still missing in the Maui wildfires has now risen to 1,100 – more than two weeks after a deadly blaze tore through the historic town of Lahaina.

Maui County officials announced on Tuesday that between 1,000 and 1,100 remain unaccounted for while 1,400 have been located.

At the weekend, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said around 850 people were still missing.

Steven Merrill, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu field office, said on Tuesday: “Every day the numbers will change.

“That being said, the number that we’re most concerned about is, obviously, trying to clear people from the list. And that has reliably gone down every day.”

[23 August 2023 13:00 · Ariana Baio]

Speaking with Maui survivors, Biden likens wildfires to almost losing his Corvette in small blaze at his home

President Joe Biden drew criticism after tried to empathise with survivors of the Maui wildfires on Monday by sharing his own story of overcoming a small house fire where, luckily, nobody was hurt and nothing of considerable value was lost.

At the Lahaina Civic Center, Mr Biden addressed a crowd of residents who are still reeling from a raging wildfire that spread across their community on 8 August – causing at least 115 people to die and 80 per cent of the town’s structures to be damaged or destroyed.

“I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, what it’s like to lose a home,” Mr Biden told the crowd.

[23 August 2023 13:30 · Ariana Baio]

FBI ask those submitting missing persons reports to follow-up

After the number of missing people in Maui rose to over 1,000, the FBI based on Honolulu are asking those who submitted complaints to follow up with authorities.

“If you have already submitted complaints to the Maui Police Department about a missing person, or to the FBI, or anyone else, please follow back up to ensure that they have the most up-to-date and accurate information, including dates of birth, what they look like, who they’re related to, further contact information,” Steven Merrill, the FBI Special Agent in charge, said.

[23 August 2023 14:00 · Ariana Baio]

GOP criticised for trying to make news out of Biden petting a dog in Hawaii

After a Republican National Committee social media account tried to make a big deal out of President Joe Biden petting a dog during his Hawaii visit, the White House bit back.

On Monday, RNC Research tweeted: “Biden gets distracted by a dog: “That’s some hot ground, man!” The tweet was posted alongside a video of the president petting a golden retriever while talking to a FEMA worker in Hawaii amid the fatal wildfires.

In response, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates called out the Republican account in defence of Mr Biden, writing: “He’s petting one of the dogs that’s working hard searching for remains so survivors who’ve lost loved ones can have closure.”

“This criticism is classless and stupid,” Mr Bates added.

[23 August 2023 14:30 · Ariana Baio]

Eight more victim identified from Maui wildfires

Officials in the County of Maui have identified eight more victims who were killed in the wildfires that broke out on 8 August.

Those people include Clyde Wakida, 74, Todd Yamafuji, 68, Antonia Molina, 64, Freeman Tam Lung, 59, Theresa Cook, 72, Joseph Schilling, 67, Narcios Baylosis Jr, 67, and Vanessa Baylosis, 67.

All of the victims were from Lahaina.

[23 August 2023 15:00 · Ariana Baio]

Maui residents are still reeling from wildfire devastation. Now investors and relators are trying to cash in

Just days after fast-moving wildfires broke out in Maui, Hawaii, residents were heartbroken to see the remainder of their homes, businesses and lives turned to ash.

Thousands are without shelter and their possessions, as nearly 80 per cent of structures in the town of Lahaina have been damaged or completely destroyed.

Even worse are the scores of people forced to mourn the untimely loss of loved ones who were unable to escape the blazes before they engulfed neighbourhoods.

But the same people who are trying to grapple with the immense loss and figure out how to move forward, are reportedly being forced to defend what they have left of their land and grief as investors and relators try to captalise on the disaster.

Ariana Baio reports:

[23 August 2023 15:45 · Ariana Baio]

Who are the victims of the Maui wildfires?

More victims of the Maui wildfires are expected to publicly identified in the coming days as officials use DNA to match survivors and family members to those who have died.

[23 August 2023 16:25 · Ariana Baio]

The chief of the Maui Police Department said that, realistically, not all of the people who died in the Maui wildfires will be able to be confirmed deaths in a news conference on Tuesday.

“When this is all said and done, realistically, let’s be honest here, we’re going to have a number of confirmed and we’re going to have a number of presumed,” Mr Pelletier said.

John Pelletier said that officials are still working to search every single building in Lahaina for those who died but requested public patience while they do so.

“I’ve said it before, I’m not going to stop saying it, we are going to do this right,” Mr Pelletier said. “We are not going to do it fast, we’re not going to be in a rush to judgment. We’ve got one chance.”

Officials have to be careful while searching for victims to ensure they don’t hurt themselves and can preserve the state of bodies as best as possible.