Fire experts say it's possible some bodies were cremated in the wildfire, meaning there may be no bones left to identify through DNA tests.
Two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say more than 800 people remain unaccounted for — a staggering number that presents huge challenges for officials who are trying to determine how many of those perished and how many may have made it to safety but haven't checked in.
But Maui authorities have opted not to publicize their list because it's unclear whether privacy rules would prevent them from doing so, said Adam Weintraub, spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. There are also concerns about further traumatizing families of those who are now listed as missing but may turn out to be dead, he added.
To find people, the organization cross-checks names with emergency shelter registration lists, calls hospitals to see if the person was admitted as a patient and combs through social media, among other steps, Parra said. When an individual is located, the organization provides their status to the person seeking information about them — with the individual's consent — and closes the case in its system.
Babrauskas added that damage from debris removal and excavation can also make recovery efforts difficult. "We had this Excel spreadsheet with the people's names and any of the different information we had," he said."We'd then start working the cases similar to the way you work any other case to try to locate somebody."
"There are so many of those who won't have that ending. I don't know how we come back from that," Ferguson said.The situation on Maui is still evolving rapidly, but those who have lived through similar tragedies and never learned of their loved ones' fate are also following the news and hurting for the victims and their families.
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