The newly released figure exceeded the balance of a 2018 fire in Northern California, which killed 85 and destroyed the town of Paradise. A century ago, in 1918, a fire swept through several rural communities in Northern California, killing hundreds of people and destroying thousands of homes.
At least two more fires continue to burn on Maui, with no reported deaths to date: in the Kihei area of the island’s south, and in mountain communities known as the Upcountry. Another conflagration broke out Friday night in Kaanapali, a west Maui coastal community north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.
The new death toll comes as federal emergency workers with axes and dogs trained to detect human remains moved through the remains of the fire, marking the ruins with an orange X in case of an initial search and with letters HR in case of finding human remains.
The dogs sniffed at the rubble and their occasional barks — the ones that warn of a possible corpse — echoed across the gray landscape.
The inferno that ripped through Lahaina, a centuries-old town on Maui’s west coast four days ago, destroyed homes and turned a tropical landscape an ashen gray. The state governor predicted that more bodies will be found.
“It’s going to get bigger,” Gov. Josh Green declared as they toured the devastation on historic Front Street. “It will certainly be the worst natural disaster Hawaii has ever faced. There is nothing left to do but wait and support those who survived. Our priority now is to get people together when we can and get them shelter and medical care, and then get back to rebuilding.
Those who managed to escape expressed their gratitude to be alive while mourning the death of those who were not so fortunate.
Retired Fire Captain Geoff Bogar and his friend of 35 years, Franklin Trejos, had initially stayed behind to help others in Lahaina and save Bogar’s home. But as the flames grew closer Tuesday afternoon, they both knew it was time to go. Each went to his own vehicle.
When Bogar’s car wouldn’t start, he broke the window to get out of the vehicle, crawled along the ground until police found him and took him to a hospital.
Trejos did not have the same luck. When Bogar returned the next day, he found the bones of the 68-year-old man in the back seat of his vehicle, on top of the remains of his beloved pet, Sam, a 3-year-old golden retriever, whom he had attempted to protect.
Trejos, a native of Costa Rica, had lived for years with Bogar and his wife, Shannon Weber-Bogar, assisting her when she had seizures in the absence of her husband. Trejos filled their lives with love and laughter.
“God took a good man,” Weber-Bogar said.
Bill Wyland, who lives on the island of Oahu but owns an art gallery on Lahaina’s Front Street, fled on his Harley Davidson, cruising along empty sidewalks Tuesday to avoid crowded roads as ash washed over him. they burned the hair at the nape of the neck.
Moving into gusts of wind he estimated to be at least 70 mph (112 kph), Wyland passed a cyclist who was pedaling for his life.
“It’s something you’d see in the Twilight Zone, a horror movie or something,” Wyland said.
Wyland realized how lucky he was when he returned to downtown Lahaina on Thursday.
“It was devastating to see all the burned vehicles. There was nothing standing, ”she pointed out.
His gallery was destroyed, as were the works of 30 artists. Emergency managers on Maui were looking for places to house people displaced from their homes. Some 4,500 people need shelter, authorities said Saturday morning via Facebook, citing figures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center.
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Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; Andrew Selsky in Bend, Oregon; Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Audrey McAvoy in Wailuku, Hawaii; and Lisa J. Adams Wagner, in Evans, Georgia, contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press’s climate and environmental coverage is supported by several private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
