The number of dead from Maui’s fires rises as local residents press to see Lahaina

The death toll from the Maui wildfires has reached 99 people, with officials warning the number could rise, while residents voice frustrations about remaining barred from entering Lahaina.

The Situation: As of Monday, the perimeter of the Lahaina fire is reported to be cool and stable.
* Maui County Fire Chief Bradford Ventura stated that helicopters will inspect the area on Tuesday for remaining hotspots.
* Apart from Lahaina, the only other active fire is the Upcountry/Kula fire, which is proving difficult to control due to inaccessible terrain such as forests and gulches.

Check&Recovery: Roughly 25% of the Lahaina area has been searched with the help of cadaver dogs, aiming to have 85-90% of the region searched by the weekend.
* Of the 99 confirmed deaths to date, only three have been positively identified via fingerprints.
* Authorities are urging those missing family members to provide DNA swabs at the Family Assistance Center for identification purposes.

Infrastructure: The Hawaiian Electric Company has restored power to nearly all affected buildings, with around 2,000 exceptions out of an initial 12,400 that lost power due to the fire.
* Hawaiian Electric’s CEO Shelee Kimura faces scrutiny over the decision not to shut off electricity during strong winds, an action that has been controversial due to potential risks to medically vulnerable citizens.

State Preparedness: Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green has requested a comprehensive review from the state’s attorney general regarding official decisions made in relation to the wildfires and pre-existing policies.
* The fact that local officials did not activate the siren system is among the items up for examination.
* Despite criticism, Governor Green cautions that the situation is more complicated, as sirens are usually associated with tsunami warnings, potentially causing confusion and additional risks.

View original article on NPR

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