FEMA puts cost of rebuild from Lahaina Fire around $5.52 billion
The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and FEMA has put the cost of the estimated rebuild from the Lahaina Fire at $5.52 billion.
As of Friday a total of 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire on Maui, according to an updated damage assessment from the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and FEMA.
The Lahaina Fire resulted in an estimated total of 2,719 structures exposed and 86 percent of buildings exposed to the fire were classified as residential, the update said.
1 hr 12 min ago
"We underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire," Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda says
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2022. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
Speaking with CNN’s Amara Walker on CNN This Morning on Saturday, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said the state “underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire,” and failed to plan for redundancies in its emergency alert system.
Tokuda said these days, emergency alerts are received on cell phones, but that there was no cell phone coverage in the area at the time.
“It's not like hurricane force winds are unknown to Hawaii, or dry brush, or red flag conditions. We saw this before in (Hurricane) Lane. We did not learn our lesson from Lane (in 2018) -- that brush fires could erupt as a result of churning hurricane winds below us to the south,” Tokuda said. “We have got to make sure that we do better.”
In 2018, as Hurricane Lane approached Hawaii, bush fires scorched a total of 2,330 acres in Maui. The following year, fires in Maui burned around 25,000 acres and yet, in a report last year, Hawaii's emergency management agency described the risk of wildfires to human life as “low.”
As officials await FEMA searches inside buildings for any additional victims, Tokuda said the oceans around Lahaina will also have to be dredged, “to make sure that every individual that is lost is found.”
The Congresswoman said she understands residents expect actions from lawmakers, saying “we need to be there to help them as they rebuild back. It's going to take years, generations.”
3 hr 50 min ago
West Maui fire that prompted evacuation in Kaanapali now 100% contained, officials say
From CNN's Michelle Watson
A fire in West Maui that prompted an evacuation in the Kaanapali area is now 100% contained, according to Facebook posts and an email to CNN from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
A Facebook post from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency around 7:44 p.m. HST (1:44 a.m. ET) said evacuations in the Kaanapali area were "NO LONGER taking place."
At 9:50 p.m. HST (3:50 a.m. EST) the County of Maui said, "Kaanapali fire now 100% contained."
4 hr 53 min ago
West Maui fire that prompted evacuations in Kaanapali now 80% controlled, police say
From CNN's Michelle Watson and Norma Galeana
People walk along Main Street past wildfire damage on August 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Rick Bowmer/AP
The fire in West Maui that prompted evacuations in the Kaanapali area is now 80% controlled, the Maui Police Department said Friday night at just after 9 p.m. HST (3 a.m. EST).
"Per MFD, fire is 80% controlled. No further evacuations are being conducted," an updated Facebook post said.
No other details were provided.
Meanwhile, police are restricting access into West Maui, according to an update from Maui County Government on Friday night.
It added that additional cellphone service was becoming available in the region, but reminded users to text instead of call due to limited resources.
5 hr 13 min ago
Death roll reaches 80, Maui County government confirms
From CNN's Michelle Watson
The confirmed death toll from this week’s wildfires in Maui has now reached 80, the Maui County government announced Friday at 9 p.m. HST (3 a.m. ET).
"Firefighters continue working to extinguish flare-ups and contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui," the release said. "The number of fatalities is at 80."
7 hr 32 min ago
Fire in West Maui prompts evacuation of Kaanapali area
From CNN's Mike Valerio and Michelle Watson
A fire in West Maui has prompted an evacuation of the Kaanapali area, the Maui Police Department said in a Facebook post.
"As of this posting, there is a fire in West Maui. Residents in the Kaanapali area are currently being evacuated," police said.
"No unauthorized personnel is allowed in the burnt-out disaster zone. Violators will be removed from the area and may face arrest," the post added.
The police said there were currently no restrictions barring exit from the west and they would allow people to enter the area "once it is safe to do so."
"Our priority is to ensure the safety of the community and first responders," they said.
Maui police shut down only public road in and out of Lahaina
From CNN’s Mike Valerio and Cole Higgins
In an aerial view, cars back up for miles on the Honoapiilani highway as residents are allowed back into areas affected by the recent wildfire on August 11, 2023 in Wailuku, Hawaii. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
After allowing Lahaina residents to briefly return to the devastated town Friday, Maui Police abruptly shut down the main road into Lahaina just before 4 p.m. local time.
The Maui Police Department said the closure was "effective immediately," according to a Facebook post.
CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now reported residents disregarded access rules within Lahaina, leading law enforcement to shut down entry. Local media reports showed the roadway congested, as officers redirected vehicles.
Law enforcement began allowing members of the public past road blocks to check on property only hours earlier. It remains unclear when public traffic will be restored.
9 hr 58 min ago
The Lahaina fire is now Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in state history. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Wildfire wreckage is seen from an aerial view in Lahaina on Thursday. Rick Bowmer/AP
At least 67 people have died in the wildfires that torched the Hawaiian island of Maui.This officially makes the Lahaina fire Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in state history, surpassing the 61 confirmed deaths from a tsunami in Hilo in 1960.
Crews have not yet searched the inside of most of the burned buildings, specifically structures in the hard-hit city of Lahaina, officials said. The fire in Lahaina is now 85% contained, the county said Friday.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will spearhead a “comprehensive review” of decisions made by officials in response to the fires, her office announced. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, who authorized the review, said an organized response was hampered by power outages and damage to the phone network.
Here's where things stand Friday:
Search efforts: Search and rescue teams with cadaver dogs from California and Washington are in Maui to assist, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The federal government has released enough food and water to support 5,000 people for five days, the White House said. Hawaii County has created a task force to support Maui, including helping people find housing, Mayor Mitch Roth said.
Lahaina: Residents with identification showing proof of residency, and visitors with proof of hotel reservations, were allowed back in the area on Friday. CNN affiliate KVVU showed footage of cars lining up on the only access road. The governor previously estimated that about 80% of the town, the economic hub of the region, was destroyed by the fires. The US Coast Guard said it rescued 17 people who fled into the Pacific Ocean to escape the wildfire flames that destroyed the town.
Limited resources: A "mass influx" of people have been seeking assistance at food banks, Maui Food Bank Executive Director Richard Yust said. He said resources on the island are limited and that even an expedited ocean freight is two weeks away. People need food, water, cleaning products and hygiene products, he said. Hundreds of displaced Maui residents tell CNN they are trying to find loved ones while grappling with losing their homes.
Emergency alerts: Maui’s warning sirens were not activated when the Lahaina fire began on Tuesday, records show, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. But other layers of the emergency warning system were triggered, including mobile phone alerts and messages on televisions and radio stations, a spokesperson said. Additionally, Hawaii officials underestimated the deadly threat of wildfires, according to a CNN review of state and local emergency planning documents.
Communication updates: Maui County started providing updates on the aftermath of wildfires in the area via radio stations. Information will also be posted on the county's website and social media pages. However, power and internet are still out in much of West Maui, according to a hyperlocal nonprofit organization that said it has not been able to reach people.
Federal reaction: Vice President Kamala Harris said she and President Joe Biden are closely monitoring the ongoing crisis in Hawaii. The White House said Biden spoke with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green again on Friday. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would push to include funding for Maui disaster relief in the supplemental funding bill. Meantime, US Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency in Hawaii.
Why the fires have been so hard to contain: Drought worsened in Hawaii over the past week, leading to fire spread, according to the US Drought Monitor released Thursday. High winds from Hurricane Dora 500 miles south of Hawaii coupled with low humidity levels produced "dangerous fire weather conditions” through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said. Invasive grasses and shrubs also become highly flammable in the dry season, scientists said.
How to help: Help is desperately needed for people displaced by the fires, and residents CNN interviewed this week urged viewers and readers to contribute if they can. You can support relief efforts here.
10 hr 2 min ago
Lahaina fire is now 85% contained, county says
From CNN's Michelle Watson
The Lahaina fire that has claimed the lives of at least 67 people is now 85% contained, the County of Maui said.
Additionally, the Pulehu/Kihei fire is 80% contained and the Upcountry Maui fire is 50% contained, the county said in a Facebook post at about 3 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET).
"Firefighters continue battling flare-ups in all three fires," the post read.
"Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue Team, with expertise in human remains, are being deployed to Maui from Arizona and Nevada. Five dogs are being utilized," it added.
