Wildfires around Hawaii have recently been dubbed the "deadliest" in the United States for over a century. As such, there are still over 1,000 people reported missing from the wildfires as rescue teams continue to comb through the rubble that remains.
Wildfire in Hawaii
The wildfires in Hawaii started to spread across numerous islands, which were a result of winds from Hurricane Dora. Maui had become the greatest victim of the wildfires as the flames engulfed Lahaina, a significantly historic town.
The cause of these fires was believed to be the heat and dry conditions mixing together. However, a direct reason for these fires has not been specified.
The flames caused thousands of Maui residents to be forced to evacuate, with some residents only having a few minutes to escape before the flames devoured their homes. In fact, some residents only evacuated last minute by jumping into the ocean just to get away from the flames.
On Sunday, close to 100 people were confirmed dead due to the fire as per Maui County. The firefighters are still battling blazes across the island, including Lahaina, which was still flaring up.
So far, firefighters have been able to extinguish an acre of fire in Ka'anapali. The death toll used to be 89 people on Saturday, with only two of the dead identified due to other bodies being destroyed in the flames.
The report highlights how the flames were enough to melt metal, with families being asked to submit whatever DNA samples they had for the officials to be able to identify individuals lost in the flames. The melting point for stainless steel is at least 2500 °F, which is the melting point that could've reached this range.
Power Outage in the Area
The US Power Outage Map reveals that about 4,500 people remained without access to power. At least 2,200 structures have been destroyed by the flames, with most of them being residential properties.
There were numerous reports saying that the residents of Maui didn't hear the sirens before the flames started and that they didn't get any advance notice to start any evacuation. As such, Senator Mazie Hirono said there shouldn't be any excuse for there being no siren.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has urged nonessential travel to the island while urging Hawaiians to remain away from their homes until given the confirmation that it's safe to return.
The fires even reached Maui's oldest living tree, which dates back 150 years. The banyan tree was planted to mark a Protestant mission's 50th anniversary of their arrival to Lahaina, which was in 1873.
So far, the tree stands despite its exterior being black. The tree is also seen as a symbol of hope for Hawaiians, especially those who might've been affected by the recent flames.
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