Deadly Maui Fire Likely Largest Natural Disaster in Hawaii History According to Governor

The wildfire that killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of structures is one of the state worst disasters ever, said Hawaii’s governor..

Gov. Josh Green toured what is left of the town of Lahaina on Thursday.

“What we saw today was likely the largest natural disaster in Hawai‘i state history,” said Green. “It’s going to take a great deal of time to recover from this.”

At least 55 people are dead, but that number is expected to rise as the inside of more structures are searched, officials predicted.

It is 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.

Cadaver-sniffing dogs were brought in Friday to Lahaina to assist in the search for more remains, said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.

The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people on Maui.  A tsunami killed more than 150 people on the Big Island in 1946.

But the number of buildings destroyed and the cost of rebuilding after this week's devastation will likely dwarf any previous disaster.  The most expensive disaster in history was Hurricane Iniki, which hit in 1992.  It left six dead and caused $1.8 billion in damage.

Officials said it was too early to come up with any estimates for the Lahaina fire but noted it would be a multi-year process to rebuild.

The islands also suffered numerous tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and flooding from storms over the years.

“It will be a tremendous effort, but we will come together as a community and begin working toward rebuilding from this tragedy,” the governor said.