Maui wildfires leave trail of death and destruction

Twisted metal. The carcases of burned sedans. Charred shells of what once were homes, thriving businesses and cultural landmarks. As Maui officials continue searching through the wreckage for the many who are still missing after wildfires tore through the island, they have a new tool at hand: human remains detection dogs, often called cadaver dogs.

The wildfires, whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora offshore, ravaged the once vibrant Hawaiian island, killing at least 96 people. Only two of the dead have been identified as of Saturday.

The disaster is the deadliest US wildfire in over 100 years, according to research from the National Fire Protection Association. Officials have acknowledged the death toll is likely to increase and the true scale of the casualties is unclear. And spotty cell phone coverage has added to the confusion over missing friends and family.

Cell signals are improving – some families have finally been able to reach their loved ones through text – and Maui County has said that a community center is open to provide resources for people looking for information about missing people.

There were a total of 10 search dogs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Urban Search and Rescue teams in Maui as of Friday, a representative from the agency told CNN, and more are set to join the search effort.

The dogs and their handlers have taken on the harrowing job of searching through the ruins to identify human remains that might be burnt beyond recognition, so authorities can begin the process of matching them with names and notifying families.

Just 3% of the fire zone had been searched with cadaver dogs as of Saturday night, according to Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. “None of us really know the size of” the death toll yet, he told reporters. He urged those with missing family members to contact authorities to coordinate a DNA test to assist in the identification process.

Read more about the cadaver dogs working in Maui.

Staff at most of Maui’s public schools will return to campus Monday, except for West Maui and King Kekaulike High, as the state’s Department of Education beings phased school reopenings since wildfires devastated the island.

Staff at the public schools in Upcountry, South and Central Maui will report to campus on Monday with students returning on Wednesday. Campuses will be closed on Friday due to a state holiday. 

Previously, Maui High School was a site of the Red Cross evacuation shelter but on Sunday the shelter was relocated to the South Maui Gymnasium in Kihei.  

With West Maui schools closed, the department and Hayashi encourage displaced families to reenroll their students in the nearest school, even if it is on a temporary basis. 

Hayashi reassured employees impacted by the school closures that their jobs are safe and they will continue to be paid while on administrative leave.

“Please prioritize taking care of yourself and your loved ones during this time,” Hayashi said. 

Hayashi ends the letter by thanking the community and staff:

The death toll from the Maui, Hawaii wildfires is now at 96 as of Sunday night local time according to a news release from Maui County.  

The Kula fire, first reported August 8, is now 60% contained, the county reported, and the Lahaina fire, also first reported August 8, is 85% contained.

The Pulehu/Kihei fire remains 100% contained and the Puʻukoliʻi/Kaanapali fire is extinguished.

A lawsuit filed against Hawaii’s main electric provider alleges that electrified power lines blown over by high winds during Hurricane Dora led to the spread of the deadly Lahaina wildfire.

The complaint was filed Saturday by three law firms on behalf of a couple living in Lahaina against Hawaiian Electric Industries and three subsidiaries, including the power utility that services Maui.

Attorneys are asking a judge to certify the case as a class action suit covering everyone who lost property or was physically hurt in the Lahaina fire. 

Wildfire cause remains unknown: Maui Mayor Richard Bissen acknowledged Thursday that power lines that were “still energized” had fallen on the roads, but the new lawsuit does not state exactly how the power lines allegedly ignited the wildfire. An official cause of the wildfire has not yet been determined.

The fires on Maui started spreading widely Tuesday — fueled in part by violent winds from Hurricane Dora, churning more than 800 miles away — decimating homes and businesses, launching urgent rescue missions, knocking out power and communication services, and even forcing some people into the ocean to avoid being burned.

The allegations: The suit alleges that Hawaiian Electric Industries "chose not to deenergize their power lines during the High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning conditions for Maui before the Lahaina Fire started," despite knowing the risks.

The company and subsidiaries "also chose not to deenergize their power lines after they knew some poles and lines had fallen and were in contact with the vegetation or the ground," the suit alleges.

Utility's response: Hawaiian Electric vice president Jim Kelly told CNN Sunday via email that, "as has always been our policy, we don’t comment on pending litigation.”

Government officials in Hawaii repeatedly declined to say last week what could have been done to prevent the wildfire spread, saying that will be determined by a “comprehensive review” ordered by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.

This post has been updated with additional information.

As the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years broke out and Maui lost power and communications, the largest siren system in the world remained silent. Some residents say they did not receive an official warning, and there have been complaints that officials were woefully unprepared for wildfires.

The senator added that there will be a time coming up for those kinds of reviews and investigations, but she is now focused on the need for rescue.

Hirono spoke with Tapper Sunday morning, a day after surveying the damage on Maui with the state's governor and the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The senator also discussed the people who are still missing, saying "we are in a period of mourning and loss."

"Some of them have been accounted for, some of them have been found in the shelters," she said. "I visited one with some 400 residents sleeping on cots, and we are going to need to provide them with short-term and long-term housing."

Hirono also spoke about resources and government agency support while acknowledging the state is in a period of "shock and loss."

On climate change, and if the senator would like President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency, Hirono said "we very much need to acknowledge that climate change is upon us," adding that "more needs to be done." 

As the Hawaiian island of Maui receives help from around the world in recovering from its deadly wildfires, some residents say the greatest need is something that can’t be shipped in from the mainland: a place to stay.

Hawaii officials have stressed in news briefings that the island is not closed to tourists, particularly the eastern side that was unaffected by wildfires. While one runway of Kahului Airport has been closed to general aviation in order to allow more cargo shipments in, the Department of Transportation said commercial flights onto Maui are unaffected. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the island to effectively shut down its largest economic engine for months, and officials are anxious not to discourage visitors again.

Cicchino said that is effectively forcing evacuated residents of West Maui to compete with tourists for housing.

“I hate to say it, but I think they should put a little hold on people coming to visit because we don't have any places for locals to stay,” he said. “They're going to need those hotel rooms. They're going to need our Airbnbs, Vrbos."

While there are mass shelters available for evacuees, Cicchino says he’s not sure how long that can be a viable solution.

If you’re looking to donate money to help those affected by the wildfires in Hawaii, it’s important to follow certain steps to ensure your money is going to the right place.

Here are tips to make sure your donation is going to a legitimate charity:

How to pick the organization: Several sites help people find and support legitimate charities, including Charity Navigator, BBB Wise Giving Alliance and CharityWatch. Dig deeper into an organization’s reputation after finding a legitimate charity you’re considering supporting.

The US Federal Trade Commission suggests when conducting an online search of any charity, you should add the words “complaint,” “review,” “fraud,” or “scam” to the search terms. Doing this should bring up any bad reviews or red flags about the organization.

It’s also helpful to know if the group you’ve selected is registered as a 501(c)3, meaning it’s registered as a tax-exempt non-profit. Look up the organization in the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search. If the charity is a registered 501(c)3, you may want to save a record of your contribution since it’s tax deductible.

When you feel confident about making your donation, it’s best to use a credit card or check, since those types of payments are easily traceable. After contributing to a charity, review your bank account and credit card statements to ensure you’ve only been charged the agreed-upon amount.

Tips for donating through a platform like GoFundMe: When donating through a platform like GoFundMe, ActBlue or WinRed, make sure to check whether the site is keeping some of your donation as a processing fee.

For many crowdfunding sites, your money will first go directly to the crowdfunding organizer, and not necessarily the end-recipient of the donations. So double-check that the organizer will pass along the funds to the person or cause they claim to be supporting.

Be on the lookout for scams: Don’t let anyone rush you into donating on the phone on the spot; take time to do the proper research. Never donate with a wire transfer or gift card, which is difficult to track if something goes awry. Also, if an organization insists on a donation using cryptocurrency, another hard-to-track form of payment, that should set off alarm bells. Avoid sending funds from payment apps like Venmo or Zelle. Those apps should only be used to send money to people you know, since it’s difficult to recoup funds once someone receives them.

CNN Impact Your World is raising money to support relief efforts in Maui. Click here to help.

Read more on how to help Hawaii here.