Live updates: Maui wildfires death toll rises to 93 as officials ask families for DNA samples - The Washington Post

Maui wildfires live updates: Death toll rises to 93 as officials ask for DNA samples - The Washington Post

The wildfires that tore through the island of Maui have killed at least 93 people, the county of Maui said late Saturday, making them the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than 100 years. The death toll is expected to rise. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier called on people with missing loved ones to submit DNA samples to help identify remains, warning that it will take time because some are so badly damaged that they disintegrate when picked up. Some Maui residents have turned to social media to plead for information about their loved ones.

Here’s what to know

- The death toll in Maui surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, previously the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century. That blaze killed 85 people and consumed the town of Paradise.
- Green said at a news conference Saturday that the blaze was the result of a never-before-seen confluence of climate-related conditions and warned that it would take a long time for tourism and the community of West Maui to recover.
- At least 1,000 people have been reported missing, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told The Washington Post. She added that at least one person was later found alive at a shelter.
- Government officials pledged to review the state’s emergency response after residents called relief efforts insufficient and records indicated that emergency sirens weren’t activated at the state or county level during the wildfires. Alerts were sent to cellphones and broadcast networks.
- Two residents filed a lawsuit seeking class action Saturday against the state’s electric utility, which faces scrutiny for not shutting down power when dangerous winds were predicted.

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The death toll in Maui
surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, previously the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century. That blaze killed 85 people and consumed the town of Paradise.

Green said at a news conference Saturday that the blaze was the result of a never-before-seen confluence of climate-related conditions and warned that it would take a long time for tourism and the community of West Maui to recover.

At least 1,000 people have been reported missing, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told The Washington Post. She added that at least one person was later found alive at a shelter.

Government officials pledged to review the state’s emergency response after residents called relief efforts insufficient and records indicated that emergency sirens weren’t activated at the state or county level during the wildfires. Alerts were sent to cellphones and broadcast networks.

Two residents filed a lawsuit seeking class action Saturday against the state’s electric utility,
which faces scrutiny for not shutting down power when dangerous winds were predicted.

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Skip to end of carousel

The death toll in Maui
surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, previously the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century. That blaze killed 85 people and consumed the town of Paradise.

Green said at a news conference Saturday that the blaze was the result of a never-before-seen confluence of climate-related conditions and warned that it would take a long time for tourism and the community of West Maui to recover.

At least 1,000 people have been reported missing, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told The Washington Post. She added that at least one person was later found alive at a shelter.

Government officials pledged to review the state’s emergency response after residents called relief efforts insufficient and records indicated that emergency sirens weren’t activated at the state or county level during the wildfires. Alerts were sent to cellphones and broadcast networks.

Two residents filed a lawsuit seeking class action Saturday against the state’s electric utility,
which faces scrutiny for not shutting down power when dangerous winds were predicted.

1/5

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