Maui County confirmed four additional fatalities in the Lahaina wildfire on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 93. The disaster is now the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.
LAHAINA, Hawaii -
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned the number of deaths “will continue to rise,” as crews with cadaver dogs make their way into burned-out structures,At a news conference Saturday, Green acknowledged the unimaginable scope of the tragedy, saying people are understandably “stunned” and said the days and weeks ahead will be hard.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said cadaver dogs have searched just 3% of the hardest-hit areas and asked those with missing loved ones to provide DNA samples at a county resource center. For information on the hubs and other ways to report loved ones missing,Pelletier also asked for patience from those seeking to get into downtown Lahaina, reminding people that there are still remains that need to be properly recovered.“We know we have to go quick, but we’ve got to do it right,” he said.
After a tour of Lahaina on Saturday with other local and federal leaders, including the head of FEMA, U.S. Fire Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell said the wildfire that tore through the town clearly moved “incredibly fast and outpaced anything that firefighters could have done.” The statement comes amid mounting questions about whether more could have done to evacuate people and save lives.
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