MAUI, Hawaii (NBC) – The death toll now stands at 55 in what officials are calling the largest natural disaster Hawaii has ever experienced.
The deadly fires are now mostly contained, but the rebuilding process could take years. President Biden declared a “major disaster” to fast-track federal assistance for those who’ve lost everything.
As that death toll continues to rise authorities are concerned they’ll find even more bodies. By one account, upwards of a thousand people may still be missing. Firefighters and emergency teams here on the ground are winning some battles and losing some others.
On the island streets where residents made harrowing escapes through raging walls of fire, so many others did not, making the wildfire the second-deadliest in modern U.S. history.
“I do not know what the final number is going to be,” said Maui Police Department Chief John Pelletier. “And it’s going to be horrible and tragic. It’s a community and so the amount of loss is incredible.”
In the skeletal and now desolate landscape without power, internet, or even radio coverage, officials say they have no way to determine how many are still missing.
Officials say hundreds of homes have been lost, a growing tally that’s personal for families like Patrick Sullivan’s. When asked how he’d describe the emotions he’s feeling, Sullivan replied, “Well, right here, it’s pretty tough. But we’ll be okay.”
From the air and on the ground, the National Guard is helping crews battle at least three wildfires still burning on Maui. The hardest-hit areas are still impossible to access.
Kimo Kirkman is grieving the loss of his home and his father’s ashes. “I found some of these old pictures and I said, ‘Oh, I should take a picture of it,’” Kirkman said. “And I’m so thankful I did because this is the only thing I have now.”
Even boats in Lahaina Harbor were consumed by the inferno. As the fire came across this area, victims say they were running as fast as the flames. Many jumped right into the harbor to save their lives.
While the ocean provided an escape route for some, not all who reached the shore survived. Residents say they’ve found bodies floating in the water. Caught with almost no warning, others perished inside their homes or were trapped in their vehicles.
An entire community surrounded by loss with one sign of historic hope: the town’s famous banyan tree is the only landmark left standing.
After 80-mph winds first kicked up this blaze and pushed it out of control, the weather conditions here are improving. In the meantime, as firefighters here on the ground continue to gain the upper hand, they are still searching for the missing.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.