The search for those killed in the Lahaina wildfire could take another week, Hawaii’s governor warned Wednesday, as crews and cadaver dogs scour damaged, multistory buildings that are difficult to explore.
(Bloomberg) — The search for those killed in the Lahaina wildfire could take another week, Hawaii’s governor warned Wednesday, as crews and cadaver dogs scour damaged, multistory buildings that are difficult to explore.
“There’s some complex buildings to search,” Governor Josh Green said, in a daily update posted on Facebook. Some 470 searchers and 40 dogs have now covered 92% of the burned area, where flames destroyed 2,200 buildings.
The number of confirmed fatalities remained at 115, but Green again cautioned it would likely rise. At a press conference Tuesday, officials said 1,000 to 1,100 people remain unaccounted for following the fire, which erupted on Aug. 8 and destroyed most of the seaside town, a popular tourist destination steeped in Hawaiian history.
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“We’re doing all we can to, of course, clear the last of the area, and we’re going to find some lost loved ones,” Green said.
To date, authorities have identified 43 of those killed, and notified the families of 21. Officials leading the effort say they have been hampered by the small number of relatives willing to donate DNA samples that could identify the remains of their missing family members.
Complicating matters, Maui County officials reported scammers have been phoning local residents and offering to collect DNA samples for a fee. The only facility collecting samples for the identification effort is the Family Assistance Center at the Hyatt Regency in Kaanapali, and its staff are not calling people seeking DNA samples, according to the county.
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