Wildfire roars through Hawaii’s historic Lahaina
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At least 111 people have died as a result of the fast-moving Hawaii wildfires that caused widespread destruction in the town of Lahaina.
As search efforts are underway, residents of Maui are reporting that investors and realtors are trying to capitalise on the wildfires to purchase land from locals.
Governor Josh Green said in a press conference that he intends to “make sure that no one is victimised from a land grab” and called on investors and relators to not approach Maui residents with an offer.
“We’re not going to allow it,” Mr Green said.
The Hawaii governor said he expects re-building the burned area of Maui to cost $5 billion or more. Already, federal, state and local relief aid has been directed twoard Maui.
Rebuilding will begin once search teams finish conducting searches for the bodies of victims – only 35 per cent of the burned area has been probed.
Mr Green believes the death toll will increase each day as more people are found.
The official cause of the fires is still yet to be determined.
Maui's emergency services chief resigns after facing criticism
The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly on Thursday, a day after saying he had no regrets about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people.
That decision from the agency directed by administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents.
Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided.
"Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible," Mr Bissen said in the statement.
A day earlier, Andaya defended the decision not to sound sirens as the flames raged. Hawaii has what it touts as the largest system of outdoor alert sirens in the world.
"We were afraid that people would have gone mauka," Mr Andaya said, using a Hawaiian word that means inland or toward the mountain. "If that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire."
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Who are the Maui wildfire victims?
Raging wildfires in Maui have left at least 106 people dead and thousands of others missing after they were forced to flee their homes.
“We are heartsick that we’ve had such loss,” Hawaii governor Josh Green said during a news conference on Tuesday.
Mr Green said he expects the death toll to rise every day as recovery teams and cadaver dogs search the burned area in Lahaina on Maui. Despite the number of deaths increasing, only a few of the 111 have been identified.
Biden declines to respond when asking about Hawaii trip
President Joe Biden declined to comment when reporters asked him to share details about his trip to Hawaii, just as the President is facing backlash for his response to the wildfires.
“Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip, sir?” One reporter asked.
Mr Biden hesitated for a moment before saying, “No, not right now.”
The President reiterated that he would be in Maui on Monday alongside First Lady Jill Biden.
Maui wildfire survivors face new threat from chemical contamination that could linger
Maui residents have been warned that wildfires burning since 8 August have contaminated water, air and soil and could pose health risks for months to come.
The deadly wildfires have claimed at least 99 lives, and destroyed an estimated 2,700 buildings around Lahaina containing hazardous household wastes, treated wood, paints and other toxic materials, officials said.
The Hawaiian Department of Health has warned that ash and dust from burned homes and businesses could contain deadly toxic chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic and lead.
They also advised residents to wear surgical masks such as N95s and goggles, gloves, and closed-toed shoes to avoid skin contact with ash.
They also warned people to avoid washing ash into drains or using vacuums that will stir up carcinogenic particles into the air.
Maui officials defend decision to not sound outdoor sirens as wildfires approached
Officials in Maui, Hawaii believe sounding the local alarm system before the wildfires engulfed several neighbourhoods would not have been useful, they said in a press conference on Wednesday.
As the death toll in Maui rises each day, questions have been raised over the officials who chose not to activate their emergency alert system and have sirens go off near coastal towns like Lahaina before the fast-moving fires reached populated areas.
Ariana Baio reports:
Ron DeSantis deploys K9 units to Maui
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said he offered resources to Hawaii governor Josh Green in the wake of the Maui wildfires, including K-9s and handlers.
“Florida has deployed specialised K-9s and handlers from Florida’s USAR Teams to Maui,” Mr DeSantis tweeted on Thursday.
It is unclear what the K-9s will be used for but cadaver dogs are currently being utilised to search for the bodies of those who perished in the fire.
“Florida stands with the people of Hawaii,” Mr DeSantis wrote.
Pilot vacationing in Hawaii took day off to fly Maui visitors off island
Vince Eckelkamp, a line training manager at United Airlines from Denver, was wrapping up his vacation in Hawaii with his family when the fires began last week.
When his own flight got delayed then cancelled due to the fires, Mr Eckelkamp said he decided to step up to help out other pilots to fly visitors off the island in the middle of the crisis.
He told USA Today that he texted another pilot who was scheduled to fly out to ask if he needed help who accepted his offer.
Mr Eckelkamp flew the plane from Maui to San Francisco to get 330 people off the island in the midst of the disaster.
‘If I hadn’t stepped up, or if I wasn’t there [the flight would have been canelled],” Mr Eckelkamp told USA Today.
“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to do the right thing.”
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL2NsaW1hdGUtY2hhbmdlL25ld3MvbWF1aS1maXJlLWNhdXNlLW1hcC1oYXdhaWktbmV3cy1iMjM5NTAwNy5odG1s0gEA?oc=5
2023-08-18 03:52:42Z
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