The search for bodies in Lahaina has wrapped up three weeks after flames leveled the seaside Maui town, with no last-minute change to a death toll that ranks the disaster as the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.
(Bloomberg) — The search for bodies in Lahaina has wrapped up three weeks after flames leveled the seaside Maui town, with no last-minute change to a death toll that ranks the disaster as the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.
Authorities have confirmed 115 deaths, while 388 people remain missing after the fire, which roared through the popular tourist destination on Aug. 8. Although personnel are still checking the waters offshore, where some survivors took refuge from the flames, urban search and rescue efforts on land are now done, county officials said Tuesday.
The focus of recovery efforts will now shift to removing hazardous waste, including asbestos, ammunition and the damaged batteries of home solar arrays. Officials said other bodies could be discovered as workers sift the ruins for hazardous materials.
“As far as remains that may be out there, there’s the potential for some, and we’re ready to receive them,” said Jeremy Stuelpnagel, coroner’s physician, at a press conference Tuesday. “Hopefully, no other people come.”
The shift comes even as Maui braces for the possibility of more fires. The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for the leeward portions of all the Hawaiian islands from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon, with gusts forecast up to 45 miles per hour. Maui County warned residents Tuesday that any fires that do start could quickly spread.
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