Death toll rises to 93 as Hawaii governor says 'very little left' in Lahaina - The Independent

Maui wildfires today updates: Death toll rises to 93 as Hawaii governor says ‘very little left’ in Lahaina | The Independent

Maui fires updates: Death toll rises to 93 as Hawaii governor says ‘very little left’ in Lahaina

Officials warn death toll will likely rise as search and rescue operations continue

Tara Cobham,

Ariana Baio,
Maroosha Muzaffar Comments

The death toll in Maui, Hawaii, has reached 93 as the devastating wildfires become the deadliest in US modern history.

After visiting the “ground zero” of the destruction in Lahania, Hawaii governor Josh Green said it is clear “there is very little left there”.

The blazes on the island are now the country’s worst in terms of casualties for over a century, while authorities have warned that the effort to find and identify the dead is still in its early stages, as crews with cadaver dogs have covered just three per cent of the search area.

“It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced,” Gov Green said earlier. The newly released death toll passed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists are spreading false claims that the devastating wildfires that have torn through the island of Maui were started by a “space laser”.

Two minor earthquakes also shook Hawaii Island near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Sunday, it was reported.
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How the ‘coconut wireless’ failed in the midst of disaster

Rapidly moving wildfires knocked out phone service on Maui, preventing the usual local “coconut wireless” network of neighbours informing each other of the latest news from warning residents on the island they were in danger, according to Hawai’i Governor Josh Green.

“Normally, we would phone cal one another, and through what’s often called the ‘coconut wireless,’ where everyone speaks to everyone else in their community, we would know right away that there was danger,” he told CNN on Friday. “That communication was cut off by the destruction of essentially 1000 degree heat that was coming down the mountain.”

Josh Marcus reports from San Francisco.

Maui fires knocked out phones, stopping alerts from local ‘coconut wireless’ network

Emergency management sirens also may have failed to warn residents
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Map of Maui wildfires: Where are the Hawaii fires?

Thousands of residents in Hawaii have been racing to escape their homes as deadly wildfires swept across the island of Maui, killing at least 93 people in what is now the deadliest US wildfire incident for more than 100 years.

US senator Brian Schatz said the historic town of Lahaina, which dates back to the 1700s, is almost totally burnt to the ground, with the blaze leaving behind smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings stood.

Maui County officials said that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the island by air, with dozens of injured in addition to those killed.

Maui wildfires map: Where are the Hawaii fires?

Deadly wildfires have been raging across Hawaii and the island of Maui County - here’s what we know so far
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Jason Momoa issues stern warning to holidaymakers travelling to Maui amid deadly wildfires

Jason Momoa has issued a stern message to holidaymakers hoping to still travel to Maui amid the fatal wildfires.

Two days after sharing his “heartbreak” about the wildfires that have devastated the Hawaiian island, Momoa shared a post stating: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.”

He continued: “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.

“Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”

Jason Momoa issues stern warning to people still travelling to Maui on holiday

‘It’s not the place to have your vacation right now,’ the ‘Aquaman’ actor said
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Conspiracy theorists are claiming a 'space laser beam' started the Hawaii wildfires

Conspiracy theorists have managed to go viral after spreading false claims that the devastating wildfires that have torn through the island of Maui in Hawaii were started by a ‘space laser.’

93 people have died as a result of the fires making it the deadliest in modern US history and destroying most of the beautiful island’s natural habitat.

Yet, whenever the climate is related to a tragic story it doesn’t take long for conspiracy theorists to try and spin the narrative to make others think what they are seeing isn’t really about the state of the planet.

Conspiracy theorists are claiming a 'space laser' started the Hawaii wildfires

Conspiracy theorists have managed to go viral after spreading false claims that the devastating wildfires that have torn through the island of Maui in Hawaii were started by a 'space laser.'93 people have died as a result of the fires making it the deadliest in modern US history and destroying most...
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Maui fires become deadliest in modern US history as ‘grim’ search for victims continues

Hawaii Governor Josh Green gave a stark warning to the world in the aftermath of the “fire hurricane” that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui.

The state’s drought conditions from climate change and difficulties with water management had combined with 60mph winds from Hurricane Dora which had just passed the island, Mr Green explained in an interview on MSNBC on Sunday.

This allowed three of four fires to seed quickly in the wind and then move at a mile-per-minute through the community obliterating everything in its path.

“That’s what a fire hurricane is going to look [like] in the era of global warming,” he warned, emphasising the need for action on climate change.

Read the full story here:

Hawaii fires deadliest in over 100 years as ‘grim’ search for victims continues

Hawaii governor warns of ‘fire hurricanes’ in age of climate change as questions raised about warning system

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String of minor earthquakes shake Hawaii island

Two minor earthquakes shook Hawaii Island near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Sunday.

According to the US Geological Survey, two magnitude 2.6 earthquake occurred at 12.47pm.It was centered 5.3 miles west-northwest of Volcano town at a one mile depth, Hawaii News Now reported.

A second earthquake of magnitude 4.3 occurred at 1.36 pm 5 miles south-southest of Volcano within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.USGS seismologists said the stronger quake was also much deeper, with its epicentre 15.5 miles down.

Earlier USGS data indicated three quakes. However, the second and third quakes were recorded five seconds apart, and are now regarded as the same earthquake, it was reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no danger of a tsunami.
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More bodies likely to be found in ‘worst natural disaster Hawaii ever faced’

Expressing shock over the scale of devastation, Governor Josh Green said: “We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them healthcare, and then turn to rebuilding.”

The authorities suspect that the total number of fatalities, in what is already the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, is likely to rise further in the coming days.

Maui wildfires ‘the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced’

Death toll stands at 93 and is expected to rise further in coming days, say officials
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Hawaii governor Josh Green assesses severe damage in Lahaina: ‘There is very little left there’

Hawaii governor Josh Green recently made two visits to the heart of devastation in Lahaina, and said that “there is very little left there”.

Over 2,700 structures have been obliterated in this once-thriving tourist destination on Maui’s western edge, causing an estimated $5.6bn in damages.

In a video update released on Sunday, Mr Green expressed gratitude for the backing of president Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the upcoming recovery phase.

The focus now, he said is on finding “those who have perished”. The death toll, currently 93, is expected to rise, he said.
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Could a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders? Residents are already worried

A fast-moving wildfire that incinerated much of the compact coastal settlement last week has multiplied concerns that any homes rebuilt there will be targeted at affluent outsiders seeking a tropical haven. That would turbo-charge what is already one of Hawaii’s gravest and biggest challenges: the exodus and displacement of Native Hawaiian and local-born residents who can no longer afford to live in their homeland.

Read on...

Lahaina residents worry a rebuilt Maui town could slip into the hands of affluent outsiders

The cost to live in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui keeps rising thanks to a chronic housing shortage and an influx of second-home buyers and wealthy transplants snatching up properties
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Nighttime looting plague Maui fire survivors

The people of Maui are now grappling with nighttime looting as residents are growing anxious with the local leadership’s response.

“There’s some police presence. There’s some small military presence, but at night people are being robbed at gunpoint,” Matt Robb, co-owner of a Lahaina bar called The Dirty Monkey, said.

“I mean, they’re going through houses – and then by day it’s hunky dory. So where is the support? I don’t think our government and our leaders, at this point, know how to handle this or what to do.”

“It’s just been really interesting to see how, when you have a full truck of a pallet of water or feminine products or whatever, and you’re trying to help people – that you’re being turned away,” Mr Robb said. “And I think there’s a better way to organise that to be done, I just don’t think it’s been done the correct way. I think it comes down to the lack of leadership and the lack of knowledge of how to handle this.” he was quoted as saying by Business Insider.