Page 2 - Hawaii

Maui's emergency services chief resigns amid criticism for no fire sirens

The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly Thursday, a day after saying he had no regret 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. The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, and The Associated Press reported that it was part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. 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, Bissen said in the

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Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green vowed to keep the land in local people's hands" after a deadly wildfire that incinerated a historic Maui community, as the island's schools began reopening and traffic resumed on a major road. Green said at a Wednesday news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges. My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimised from a land grab, Green said. People are right now traumatised. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. Do not approach their families saying they'll be much better off if they make a deal. Because we're not going to allow it. Also Wednesday, the number of dead reached 111, and Maui police said nine victims had been identified, and the families of five had been notified. A mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived Tuesday to help process and identify ...

Joe Biden, First Lady to visit wildfire-hit Hawaii to review recovery work

"The President and First Lady will travel to Maui on Monday, August 21 to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires

2 victims of the deadly Maui wildfire identified, death toll rises to 106

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. 2 VICTIMS OF LAHAINA WILDFIRE IDENTIFIED AS THE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 106 Maui County released the names of two people killed in the wildfire that all but incinerated the historic town of Lahaina Tuesday evening, as the death toll rose to 106. A mobile morgue unit arrived on Tuesday to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify remains, as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighbourhoods reduced to ash. The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and oth

Death toll from devastating Maui fire reaches 101, says Hawaii governor

A mobile morgue unit has arrived to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify the remains of people killed in wildfires that ravaged Maui, as the death rose above 100 and teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods reduced to ash. Gov. Josh Green announced the confirmed death toll had risen from 99 to 101 in an afternoon video address, saying, We are heartsick that we've had such loss. The US Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agency's deputy assistant secretary for response. It's going to be a very, very difficult mission, Greene said. And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims. A week after a blaze tore through historic Lahaina, many survivors started moving into hundreds of hotel rooms set aside for displaced locals, while donations of

Biden, first lady to survey Maui damage as soon as they can, announces prez

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. BIDEN SAYS HE AND FIRST LADY WILL VISIT HAWAII SOON President Joe Biden says he and first lady Jill Biden will visit Hawaii as soon as we can to survey the Maui wildfire damage. He said he doesn't want his presence to interrupt recovery and cleanup efforts. My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, Biden said Tuesday in Milwaukee at a White House event held to highlight his economic agenda. I don't want to get in the way, the president said, adding that recovery work being carried about by emergency responders and search and rescue teams is ...

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Search efforts in Hawaii starting to move a little faster: Official

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters. SEARCH EFFORTS IN HAWAII ARE GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE FASTER, OFFICIAL SAYS A state official in Hawaii says the search-and-rescue operation in Maui is taking painstaking efforts to finds survivors and victims of last week's deadly mass fire. Jeff Hickman is the director of public affairs for the Hawaii Department of Defence. He said on NBC's Today show that teams are going street by street, block by block between cars, and soon they'll start to enter buildings. Hickman said the Hawaii National Guard has over 110 personnel assisting Maui County with the search and rescue operation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is al

Tourists urged to avoid Maui as hotels prepare to take in evacuees

Hawaii officials urged tourists to avoid travelling to Maui as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island that faces a long recovery from the wildfire that demolished a historic town and killed more than 90 people. About 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of Kahului Airport in West Maui since the devastation in Lahaina became clear Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses," the agency said in a statement late Saturday. Tourists are encouraged to visit Hawaii's other islands. Gov Josh Green said 500 hotels rooms will be made available for locals who have been displaced. An additional 500 hotel rooms will be set aside for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some ..

Maui wildfire death toll reaches 93, making it deadliest in US in 100 years

A fire that swept through a picturesque town in Maui this week has killed at least 89 people, authorities said Saturday, making it the deadliest US wildfire of the past century. The newly released figure surpassed the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds. At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Maui's Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry. A fourth broke out Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

In search for cause of Hawaii wildfires, lawyers probe power lines

Hawaiian Electric said it doesn't have information on what caused the fires, according to an email statement from spokesman Darren Pai

Maui wildfire survivors start returning to ruins, death toll likely to rise

The grim work of tallying the dead after a ferocious wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui came into sharp focus Saturday as crews picked through the devastation, marking homes with a bright orange X to signal they had searched for bodies and HR when they found human remains. At least 80 people perished in the inferno that swept through the centuries-old town of Lahaina on Maui's west coast. As the homes that remained standing got their marks, residents who barely made it out alive returned to take an inventory of their loss. Most of our focus will be on humans today, Gov Josh Green said Saturday as he and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency stood under the scorched branches of an old, treasured banyan tree on historic Front Street. Green said operations were now centered on the loss of life. The fire reduced hundreds of homes to ash, sending emergency workers scrambling Saturday to find temporary housing for those lucky enough to survive. Communications wer

Death toll rises to 80 as rescue efforts continue to contain Maui fire

"We have suffered a tragedy here in Hawaii," Governor Josh Green said Friday in video posted on Facebook. "The fires on Maui have been devastating. But we have hope"

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Hawaii's biggest disaster kills 55 people with 1000 still missing: Report

Fast-moving wildfires killed at least 55, and the police chief said it's likely 1,000 people remain unaccounted for

US President declares Hawaii wildfires major a disaster, approves aid

The assistance announced by Biden includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and business owners

Hawaii wildfire: 36 dead, people jumping into ocean to save their life

Several thousand Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as the Lahaina fire swept across the island, killing at least 36 people and burning parts of a centuries-old town. The fire took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety. Maui county announced the updated death toll on its website late Wednesday, writing that no other details were currently available on the deaths. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured. On Wednesday, Maui crews continued to battle blazes in several places on the island. Authorities urged visitors to stay away. Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartm

Hawaii wildfire: 36 dead, people jumping into ocean to save their life

The death toll jumped as fast-moving flames swept the island, destroying buildings and sending people fleeing into the ocean

11 people sustain serious injuries amid turbulence on Hawaii flight

Nearly a dozen people were seriously injured when a flight to Hawaii was rocked by severe turbulence on Sunday about 30 minutes outside Honolulu, an emergency response agency said. Eleven people were hospitalized in serious condition and nine others were in stable condition, the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said in a statement. It said a call came in shortly after 11 a.m. about the injuries on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix. Responders treated 36 people and of those, 20 people were transported for further medical treatment. The statement said the wounds included a serious head injury, lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness. Passenger Kaylee Reyes told Hawaii News Now that her mother had just sat down when the turbulence hit, and did not have a chance to buckle her safety belt. She flew up and hit the ceiling, Reyes said. Hawaiian Airlines in a statement said 13 passengers and three crew members were taken to area hospitals for further care. The airline sai