November 5, 2024
At least 36 people have died due from the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, county officials announced late Wednesday local time.


At least 36 people have died due from the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, county officials announced late Wednesday local time.

No less than 20 others have been injured in the fires focused in Maui County, and nearly 300 structures have been damaged from the natural disaster. Thousands have fled the island of Maui to escape the devastation.

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Hawaii Fires
This photo provided by County of Maui shows fire and smoke filling the sky from wildfires on the intersection at Hokiokio Place and Lahaina Bypass in Maui, Hawaii on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures in areas including historic Lahaina town, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities Wednesday, and rescuers pulled a dozen people escaping smoke and flames from the ocean. (Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP)
Zeke Kalua/AP


The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the state’s request for a disaster declaration to provide assistance with the wildfires. An emergency declaration for the state was issued on Tuesday night.

Maui fire officials have warned that the fires are a result of erratic winds, steep slopes, and dropping humidity. They have said the difficult terrain mixed with the direction and the location of the fires has made it challenging to accurately predict the paths and speed of the fires.

“We had three conditions that led to this fire,” explained Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the Hawaii Department of Defense. “And because of the winds, helicopters could not help with the fire suppression mission until Wednesday.”

Hawaii Fires
This combination of satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of Lahaina on Maui, Hawaii, on June 25, 2023, left, and an overview of the same area on Wednesday, Aug. 9, following a wildfire that tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island. (Maxar Technologies via AP)


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Satellite photographs show the damage the wildfires have done to the coastline in Lahaina, Maui.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke (D-HI) said Wednesday that the recovery from the fires is “going to take years.”

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