- US wildfire on Maui kills 89, surpasses 2018 Camp Fire.
- Maui wildfires cause 4,500 house losses, surpassing the 1960 tsunami, causing destruction.
- Authorities struggle with power and cellular disruptions, causing island wildfires.
The deadliest US wildfire of the previous century has killed at least 89 people and is located on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The village of Paradies was completely devastated by the fire, which killed more people than the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California did.
In Minnesota, the Cloquet Fire of 1918 resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people while destroying thousands of dwellings.
Hawaii’s wildfire
The Maui fire that destroyed hundreds of homes and transformed the lush region into a moonscape of ash has killed more people than ever before. Armed with axes and cadaver hounds, federal emergency personnel combed through the debris, marking the remains of residences with an orange X for initial searches and HR when they discovered human remains.
The governor expects the death toll to increase and declares it to be the worst natural disaster Hawaii has ever experienced.
Reuniting people, providing homes and healthcare, and finally rebuilding are the current priorities. Those who survived the catastrophe are thankful for their lives and grieve for those who did not.
Up to 4,500 people who have lost their houses to wildfires in Maui are being accommodated by emergency managers. Nine vessels sank in Lahaina Harbor, and 1,692 structures—mostly residential—were reported destroyed by the Civil Air Patrol. The wildfires have surpassed the 1960 tsunami, which claimed 61 lives and was the state’s greatest natural disaster in decades.
Emergency management records do not show that the warning sirens sounded before the fire hit the town, even though the state has created a territory-wide emergency alert system with monthly sirens.
Authorities sent out alerts to radio, television, and mobile devices, but their reach may have been constrained by widespread power and cellular disruptions. A dry summer and powerful winds from a passing hurricane fueled the wildfires, which severely damaged the island.
