At least 53 people have now been died in a wildfire in Lahaina as firefighting efforts continue in Hawaii. The County of Maui said in a statement: “As firefighting efforts continue, 17 more lives have been confirmed today amid the active fire in Lahaina. This brings the death toll to 53.”
More than 14,000 people were evacuated from the island of Maui on Wednesday (local time) amid raging wildfires. The Hawaii Tourism Authority said in a news release that an additional 14,500 people are expected to be relocated by the end of Thursday.
People who were moved from Maui were sent to other locations in Hawaii to finish their vacations or were sent back home,citing the release.
A wildfire that devastated Maui’s Lahaina area is now 80 percent contained. Lahaina remains without power and about 11,000 people are without power on Maui, according to PowerOutage.US.
State and county crews continue to work to clear roads. However, entry to Lahaina remains restricted, CNN reported. The Pulehu fire in Kihei is 70 percent contained, and firefighters are still determining control of the Upcountry fire in the center of the island, where state forestry workers are working on the northern slopes of Haleakala.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden declared the wildfires in Hawaii a “major disaster” and ordered federal aid to complement state and local recovery efforts in areas ravaged by the fires since August 8. Biden’s action makes federal funds available to disabled people in Maui County.
A statement from the White House said: “President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today declared a major disaster in the state of Hawaii and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in wildfire-affected areas beginning August 8, 2023 and continuing.”
Aid announced by Biden includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and business owners recover from the disaster, the White House said in a statement.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency conservation measures in Maui County and emergency conservation assistance for Hawaii County. According to a White House statement, FEMA’s Maona N Ngwira was tasked with coordinating federal relief operations in the affected areas.
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