Maui wildfires updates: President Biden, first lady tour damage

The fires burned thousands of homes and commercial buildings to the ground.

The deadly wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 8 have become the deadliest natural disaster in state history, officials said.

The blazes spread rapidly due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful winds. Much of the historic town of Lahaina has been "destroyed," officials said, and the inferno has burned thousands of residential and commercial buildings to the ground.

Maui Wildfires
ABC News, AP, Nasa

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Aug 17, 2023, 5:36 AM EDT

Maui Strong: Charities to directly support wildfire relief efforts

On Thursday, "Good Morning America" and ABC News organized efforts to help viewers get involved in relief efforts for survivors of the Maui fires.

"Good Morning America" is helping raise awareness for Maui fire relief efforts.
ABC News

How to help:

-- Maui Strong Fund

-- Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

-- University of Hawai'i Foundation

-- Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund for Maui

-- American Red Cross/ABC

-ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy

Aug 16, 2023, 11:55 AM EDT

What we know about the victims

Over 100 people have died from the devastating wildfires on Maui. Officials have warned that the death toll is expected to rise as they work to contain the active blazes and assess the damage.

Click here to read what we know about some of the victims.

PHOTO: In an undated photo, Buddy Jantoc, center, is seen with his granddaughter Keshia Alakai and her husband.
In an undated photo, Buddy Jantoc, center, is seen with his granddaughter Keshia Alakai and her husband. Courtesy of The Family of Buddy Jantoc
Courtesy of The Family of Buddy Jantoc

Aug 20, 2023, 8:26 PM EDT

85% of impacted areas in Maui searched

Searches have been performed on 85% of the impacted areas in Maui, Gov. Green said Sunday.

During his briefing, shared on X (formally known as Twitter), Green said 1,800 people are in hotel rooms, with very few people left in shelters.

Sunday also brought news that Maui is bracing for the storm impacts of tropical cyclone Fernanda. “Remnant moisture” from Fernanda is expected to approach late Sunday, officials said in a release. According to the National Weather Service, the highest amounts of rainfall is expected Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.

To prepare for the incoming weather system, emergency response crews have begun deploying “inlet protection devices” at the storm drain catch basins within Lahaina, authorities said Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard has also installed absorbent booms at eight storm drain outfalls.

Officials warn the areas most impacted by the wildfires are at a heightened risk of flooding during heavy rain. Residents are being asked to be vigilant about flood risks and rainfall.

Aug 19, 2023, 5:17 PM EDT

Details of Biden trip still being worked out

Ahead of President Joe Biden and the first lady's visit to Maui on Monday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters that details of the trip are still being "developed."

She couldn't say how Biden will exactly survey the damage.

"There are a bunch of different options that are available -- whether it's aerial or if there's a part that's safe to go into on the ground -- but all of that is still being developed," she said, adding that they are working closely with county officials.

Criswell said the Bidens will "personally stand with the community" to reassure them that the federal government will be there "every step of the way."

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

Aug 19, 2023, 11:24 AM EDT

Death toll rises to 114, as 78% of the area has been searched

Three more people have been confirmed dead in the Maui wildfires, increasing the total number of confirmed fatalities to 114.

As of Friday night, the Maui Police Department reports that 78% of the area has been searched, according to officials.

The Olinda and Kula are now 85% contained, the Lahaina fire is 90% contained and the Pulehu / Kihei fire is 100% contained, according to Maui officials.

Aug 18, 2023, 6:41 PM EDT

Lahaina will be a multi-year operation for military, general says

Brigadier General Steve Logan, the commander of Joint Task Force Five-O, told reporters Friday that the military’s involvement in Lahaina will likely be a "multi-year operation" covering several phases.

A small team of U.S. Dept. of Defense anthropologists arrived to help with the recovery and identification of remains, he said.

Logan emphasized that military are there to augment the large interagency team of local and federal agencies recovering remains.

“Those remains once recovered, are then taken to the local county morgue for further and subsequent testing," he said.

Logan said the first phase will be to remove all of the decedents from the area, then declare the area safe from hazards such as electrical lines.

"And then the phase after that will be to open it up to the families to be able to come back to where their land is and look for any kind of valuables or something of sentimental value or something that they need to get out of there," he said.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

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