Maui Fire Death Toll Expected to Rise: ‘We Don’t Know How Many People Are Missing’

Fires that torched west Maui beginning on Tuesday still haven’t been fully contained as of Thursday evening.

An estimated 1,000 people are missing, but thus far, 53 are confirmed dead, with hundreds of structures totally destroyed.

It is already being called the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history.

The search continues for any survivors as first responders battle the blaze that’s 80% contained while droves of people are still trying to find their way off the island, and as outsiders look for loved ones trapped on the island.

A FEMA official said at a press conference in Wailuku on Thursday that its agency plans to deploy cadaver dogs to search the area for bodies.

Access to Lahaina town remains prohibited while first responders unearth the carnage. There’s no water, power, or cell service in that area that looks more like ashes and kindling than the lush resort town that brought so many tourists.

“This is the largest natural disaster our state has ever seen,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during the grim Thursday press conference.

Aerial views of the coastline show structures in Lahaina completely gone, similar to war zones in other parts of the world. Photos from Wednesday and Thursday show close-up pictures of homes, vegetation, boats and the overall way of life completely scorched.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier confirmed that there have been 53 deaths so far, but that number could reach much higher with so many people unaccounted for at this point, the top cop said.

“We don’t know how many people are missing,” said Pelletier, who noted that a lack of communications in the areas complicates tracking down those who may be still alive and stranded. “We don’t know how many people we have dead.”

The communication breakdown comes from a combination of power loss, cell towers destroyed, phone batteries gone dead, or a quick evacuation without bringing any communication device. It could also mean someone is trapped without any line to the outside world.

Gov. Green said flags will be flown at half-staff while recovery continues.

Green earlier in the day said nearly 1,700 structures had been destroyed by the blazes, which included a system of three separate fires — Lahaina, Pulehu and Upcountry Maui. Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura said Thursday that smaller fires popped up among the three larger fires, which created more chaos.

“We know that many people are suffering. Everyone, love your neighbors, support them because this is devastating for Maui,” Green said.

The fire began Tuesday night on the western side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. The National Weather Service stated Wednesday that the outer band winds from Hurricane Dora, a category 4 storm that was hundreds of miles south, contributed to the spread of the fire that raged in the fire-stricken areas.

Residents and tourists alike found several ways to escape the violent flames, whether seeking safety in their vehicles or even jumping into the waters of the harbor. 

Many tourists were told to shelter in place when the fire began. Officials said that the combination of tourists trying to escape to the airport and first responders working their way to the fires created a bottleneck on the island’s roads as 29 active electric poles fell to the ground.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) said they expected 14,500 people to be evacuated from the island just on Thursday. Calculating the other 14,000 who had been evacuated by Wednesday night, this brings the number to nearly 30,000 evacuations off the island in just two days.

Tourists who could escape either found their way to numerous shelters of Kahului Airport, which reported that approximately 1,400 people stayed overnight there Wednesday while awaiting departing flights off the island.