The latest
The death toll from the Maui wildfires has risen to 80, as crews continue to search for missing people. Some Lahaina residents were allowed to return to the wreckage of their homes for the first time this weekend, where they found charred, hollowed-out homes.
Here’s what we know so far:
A new flare-up led to the evacuation Kaanapali, a town north of Lahaina. Officials have since said that the blaze was 100% contained, and no further evacuations would be necessary.
The documented toll of the fires so far includes 2,207 structures that were damaged or destroyed, most of them residential buildings. Some 4,500 people have been displaced.
Officials are still working out where to house survivors and first responders, and are considering the island’s many hotels and resorts as options. In Honolulu, the mayor announced a moratorium on short-term rental restrictions, so property managers could rent to survivors.
The US representative Jill Tokuda of Hawaii told CNN on Saturday that the state “underestimated the lethality, the quickness of the fire”, as Hawaii’s attorney general begins reviewing why residents got little warning ahead of the blaze.
We are closing this blog, but will continue to bring updates on the Guardian’s home page and social media platforms.
Updated
Cellphone service in parts of Maui is still spotty, with about 30 cell towers offline. Officials said outages could take weeks to restore.
Much of the island’s critical infrastructure, including power lines, water services and roads, could take a while to restore, officials said.
FEMA, Federal Family Unite to Support Hawaii Wildfire Response & Recovery.
— U.S. Fire (USFA) (@usfire) August 12, 2023
Federal assets from @FEMA, the @DeptofDefense, the @USCG, @USACEHQ, @HHSGov, as well as many others, have been helping responders since the wildfires began. ➡️ https://t.co/ive1vEhDe2#MauiFires pic.twitter.com/KJv6bNAbXW
Updated
