KAHULUI, Hawaii — Per week after a ferocious wildfire ravaged the Maui resort city of Lahaina, search groups with cadaver canines have combed by only a quarter of the catastrophe zone, as anxious individuals await news of tons of of family members nonetheless believed to be lacking.
Local, state and federal rescue staff have been continuing as quick as doable, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier stated, however there was a “reverence” that encumbered the duty of discovering extra of the useless, which already quantity at the least 99 individuals.
“It’s not just ash on your clothing when you take it off. It’s our loved ones,” Pelletier stated, relating the directions {that a} director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave rescue staff in a briefing.
“Patience, prayers, perseverance: That’s what we need,” he stated at a Monday briefing, holding out hope that groups would get by 85% to 90% of the catastrophe zone by this weekend.
The deadliest US wildfire in additional than 100 years destroyed or broken greater than 2,200 buildings, 86% of them residential, inflicting an estimated $5.5 billion in injury, authorities stated.
Even as Hawaii officers promised extra assist for the displaced, some Lahaina residents have been taking issues into their very own palms. Kanamu Balinbin, an area soccer coach, arrange a reduction camp the place individuals who misplaced their houses and belongings can discover water and meals.
“I was devastated. I consider myself a strong leader, but it broke me,” Balindin stated about his feelings after witnessing the destruction. “This is what keeps me going, helping people. A lot of us are at that stage.”
Maui County briefly relaxed rules allowing Lahaina residents back to their homes but suspended the visits on Monday after curiosity seekers clogged streets being used by rescue workers, officials said. They also feared human remains may be trampled on. One person was arrested for trespassing, Pelletier said.
Fueled by winds gusting up to 80 miles (128 km) per hour), the inferno was burning at temperatures that reached 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius) last Tuesday when it raced from the dry grasslands outside town into Lahaina, turning block after block into ash.
Utility under scrutiny
It remained unclear what ignited the fires but the local electricity provider, Hawaiian Electric Industries, has come under increasing scrutiny over whether its equipment played any role in the blazes.
On Monday, the utility defended its decision to keep power flowing through its system even though Maui was buffeted last week by powerful winds fanned by a distant hurricane, raising the risk of downed lines. Proposed class action lawsuits have been filed against the company, whose stock fell as much as 40% on Monday.
Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura said the utility has no program in place to shut off electricity. Doing so would have created problems for residents who rely on powered medical equipment, she said. In addition, electricity powers pumps that provide water in Lahaina.
“There are choices that need to be made, and all of those factors play into it,” she said. Kimura said the utility would investigate what, if any role, it played in the wildfires.
In California, where toppled power lines were blamed for setting off several deadly blazes in recent years, power shutdowns are a standard precaution when the risk of wildfires is high.
Help is arriving for those left homeless. Nearly 2,000 housing units, including 400 hotel rooms, 1,400 Airbnb units and 160 private homes were being made available, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said at a news conference.
More than 3,200 Hawaii residents have registered to receive federal assistance, and that number is expected to rise, Jeremy Greenberg, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s director of response operations, told reporters.
Meanwhile, the search for missing loved ones persisted. Officials declined to estimate how many remained unaccounted for but promised they were meticulously verifying the status of all.
A crowd-sourced database circulating on social media showed about 1,130 individuals listed as “not situated” on a list of about 5,200 people as of Monday afternoon. The database includes names collected from “lacking individuals” notices posted at shelters as well as information submitted by loved ones.
The American Red Cross had received over 2,500 calls from people trying to find and reunite with relatives and friends missing from the fire, and about 800 of those have been resolved, said Chris Young, senior director for operations and readiness.
Green acknowledged the difficult balance between the need to keep people from obstructing recovery efforts and Maui’s heavy dependence on tourism revenue.
“It could be probably catastrophic if nobody traveled to the island,” the governor stated. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
