Horror and Heartbreak in Maui Recovery

The term apocalyptic is probably overused, but for the town of Lahaina and island of Maui the “one mile every minute” wildfire was exactly that.

Washington Post:

The death toll from Maui’s wildfires, now at 96, is expected to rise as specialist search teams comb through the scorched ruins for human remains, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said in a video update. “They will find 10 to 20 people per day probably, until they finish,” Green told CBS News. “And it’s probably going to take 10 days.” He added that it’s impossible to guess the final death count. Show more
Here’s what to know

With at least 96 people confirmed dead — per the latest Maui County update, citing police — the death toll has surpassed the 85 killed by the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California. It makes the Maui wildfires the country’s most lethal of the past century.

The fire that overcame Lahaina spread at a rate of “one mile every minute,” Green said, propelled by wind gusts of up to 81 mph and inflicting an estimated $5.6 billion worth of damage.

The Maui blaze was 85 percent contained by Sunday night local time, according to officials. Survivors recounted how they were overcome by the fire’s speed, blinding smoke and lack of escape routes out of Lahaina.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said the identification of remains will take time because of the severe damage sustained by the bodies. He asked those who are missing their loved ones to submit DNA samples.

And the “what happened” questions are not just limited to the fire:

Some who survived the devastation in Lahaina are expressing outrage over what they say was the absence of a clear evacuation plan that could have saved lives.

They say it’s believed those who didn’t make it out include working-class locals, homeless people and possibly even tourists — potential victims of authorities’ failure to provide advance warning and timely first-responder assistance.

Alana Whitt, who had been living with her husband and parents in a home in the tightknit community, recalled the encroaching threat of flames and high winds mounting on a hillside she spotted in clear sight out her back window on the afternoon of Aug. 8.

Some officials initially said the fire was contained and there was nothing to worry about, she said. A power outage followed. That’s when it became clear that “we were left to fend for ourselves,” she said.

Another resident, Tyler Olsen, said he, too, realized he was in the dark. “No one was letting us know what was going on. No sirens. No texts. Nothing,” he said.

Whitt’s gut told her “we have to go,” she said, and the family took what belongings they could grab along with their two cats. With a doomed Lahaina in the rearview mirror, she said, “I was afraid to look back. I was terrified.” After the escape, the family returned last week to assess the damage. The home was charred and gutted.