Closing summary
As it approaches 7.15pm local time on Maui, here’s where we’ll pause today’s live coverage of the Hawaiian island’s catastrophic wildfires and their aftermath. Thanks for joining us. To recap the latest developments:
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The death toll from the Maui fires has risen to 67, making it officially the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. A 1960 tsunami in Hilo town on the Big Island previously held the designation.
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Two wildfires including the blaze in the historic town of Lahaina are mainly contained and another is 50% under control, Maui county said mid-afternoon. But firefighters continue to battle flare-ups in the three fires.
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Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News it was “to early for me to tell” if Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the wildfires spread. Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered.
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The US military sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reported.
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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin pledged “any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz said after speaking with him.
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Schatz also he expected the death toll to rise and that specialists with dogs would soon be arriving on Maui to enter destroyed structures.
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The fires are projected to be the second-costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported. It comes second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in 1992, killing six people and leaving an estimated $3bn in damages.
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The road into Lahaina was closed this afternoon in both directions, Maui police said, without giving reasons, after some residents had been allowed back with limited access earlier in the day. Barricades remained around the town, Maui country said.
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The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the Lahaina wildfire, CNN reported. Footage posted to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
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Power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many residents, reports say, but nearly 11,000 were still without power in Maui as of 10.15am local time, according to PowerOutage.US.
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The death toll from the Maui fires has risen to 67, making it officially the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. A 1960 tsunami in Hilo town on the Big Island previously held the designation.
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Two wildfires including the blaze in the historic town of Lahaina are mainly contained and another is 50% under control, Maui county said mid-afternoon. But firefighters continue to battle flare-ups in the three fires.
-
Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News it was “to early for me to tell” if Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the wildfires spread. Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered.
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The US military sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reported.
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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin pledged “any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz said after speaking with him.
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Schatz also he expected the death toll to rise and that specialists with dogs would soon be arriving on Maui to enter destroyed structures.
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The fires are projected to be the second-costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported. It comes second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in 1992, killing six people and leaving an estimated $3bn in damages.
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The road into Lahaina was closed this afternoon in both directions, Maui police said, without giving reasons, after some residents had been allowed back with limited access earlier in the day. Barricades remained around the town, Maui country said.
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The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the Lahaina wildfire, CNN reported. Footage posted to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
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Power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many residents, reports say, but nearly 11,000 were still without power in Maui as of 10.15am local time, according to PowerOutage.US.
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In case you’re just joining us, here’s a rundown on the latest developments:
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The death toll from the Maui wildfires has risen to 67, making it officially the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. A 1960 tsunami in Hilo town on the Big Island previously held the designation.
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The wildfires continue to ravage Maui, the county announced about three hours ago. The Lahaina fire is not yet contained.
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The fires are projected to be the second-costliest disaster in the state’s history, the Associated Press reported. It comes second to Hurricane Iniki, which swept through Kauai in 1992, killing six people and leaving an estimated $3bn in damages.
-
Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News it was “to early for me to tell” if Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the wildfires spread. Officials said late on Thursday that the state’s emergency management records did not indicate that sirens were triggered.
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The US military sent 133 national guard members to Hawaii to support the emergency response efforts on the ground and in the air, the Washington Post reported.
-
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin pledged “any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz said after speaking with him.
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Schatz also he expected the death toll to rise and that specialists with dogs would soon be arriving on Maui to enter destroyed structures.
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The coast guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the Pacific ocean to save themselves from the Lahaina wildfire, CNN reported. Footage posted to social media shows people in the ocean as smoke rolls overhead.
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Residents of West Maui with ID showing proof of residence could access Lahaina via Maalaea – east of the fires – starting at noon local time, county officials said. Visitors with proof of hotel reservations could also enter. Schatz said Maui roads “should be opening by noon today”.
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Power and cell service is slowly coming back after the fires cut off communication for many residents, reports say, but nearly 11,000 were still without power in Maui as of 10.15am local time, according to PowerOutage.US.
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Senator Brian Schatz says he has spoken to Lloyd Austin and that the US defence secretary “pledged any resources that were necessary and appropriate” to help with the disaster response and recovery, including debris removal.
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The Hawaii senator said in a video posted on former Twitter site X that Shalanda Young, director of the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget, had also been in touch “because we’re going to need an emergency supplemental appropriations bill”.
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Schatz said:
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I just sort of conveyed to her that although the damage assessment won’t be done for at least another month – probably a couple of months – it’s certainly likely to be in the billions of dollars.
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This is Adam Fulton picking up the live blog from my colleague Abené Clayton.
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Sixty-seven people have lost their lives in the wildfires that continue to ravage Maui, the county announced moments ago.
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The Lahaina fire is not yet contained.
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Fifty-nine people have been killed in the recent wildfires on Maui, according to Hawaii governor Josh Green.
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All of those deaths occurred out in the open, not inside buildings, as people were trying to escape the fire,” Green told CNN on Friday.
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Hawaii governor Josh Green told NBC News he couldn’t say whether Maui’s emergency siren system worked properly before the deadly wildfires spread:
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It’s too early for me to tell. Much of the equipment was destroyed with fire and it’s a very remote place. This was a western edge of the island of Maui. Of course, we would never diminish any kind of responsibility …
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I’m very reluctant to blame anyone. We were fighting multiple fires that were being moved. Because of these winds, we’re of course, like eve