The search of the wildfire wreckage on the Hawaiian island of Maui is revealing a wasteland of burned out homes and obliterated communities as firefighters battle the stubborn blazThe search of the wildfire wreckage on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of burned out homes and obliterated communities as firefighters battled the stubborn blaze that has already claimed 53 lives, making it the deadliest in the U.S. in five years.
Maui County said late Wednesday that at least 36 people had died, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise. The Hawaii toll could rise, though, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been unreachable due to three ongoing fires or obstructions.
"We barely made it out," Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment. Relatives are monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. "We got to find our loved one, but there's no communication here," said Vierra, who fled the flames. "We don't know who to ask about where she went."
The Big Island is also currently seeing blazes, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there had been no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there.