Maui wildfires leave trail of death and destruction

Several firefighters trying to contain the flames quickly approaching the historic town of Lahaina last week have described weak water pressure and fire hydrants running dry, complicating an already perilous operation.

“There was just no water in the hydrants,” Keahi Ho, one of the firefighters working in Lahaina told the New York Times. 

Another firefighter, unnamed by the paper because he was not authorized to discuss the operation, said his truck connected to a hydrant but the water pressure was too weak to be of use and the flames grew and spread beyond their ability to contain them.

A third firefighter told the New York Times that when he arrived, he was told there was no water to fight the fires and crews pivoted to prioritize evacuations.

Ho, speaking to CNN, gave a statement, but wouldn’t elaborate on his comments to the paper.

Maui County Department of Water Supply Director John Stufflebean told the New York Times that backup generators were in use to maintain the water supply, but as the fire spread, “water was leaking out of the system." That water was flowing out of their melted pipes as the fire damaged properties.

CNN has reached out to the Maui County Department of Water Supply for more information and comment.

Hawaiian Electric’s stock tumbled to a 13-year low Monday morning, plummeting nearly 40% after a class-action lawsuit filed over the weekend alleged that Maui’s devastating wildfires were caused by the utility’s energized power lines that were knocked down by strong winds.

The utility says it provides power to 95% of the state’s residents.

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 of sparking a fire in those conditions.

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.

It has not yet been determined what started the wildfire.

Read more about the Hawaiian Electric's stocks following the lawsuit.

Mobile carriers continue to work to get cell service back up and running on Maui.

T-Mobile: The company told CNN on Monday it has successfully deployed generators to fuel some of its cell towers that lost power due to the fires. T-Mobile is also using small portable cell service terminals to provide connectivity in regions where the network’s fiber connections were destroyed. Additional equipment to provide more cell service is expected to arrive on the island later today.

AT&T: The carrier said it has restored service in north Ka’anapali and is using portable satellite solutions and operating drones with cell service support over impacted areas. AT&T said its temporary cell service sites can handle up to 450 calls at a time. 

Verizon: The company continues to use satellite-based mobile hotspots at evacuation sites in areas of greatest need. Over the weekend, Verizon said it restored its cell service towers along Hawaii Route 37 and partial service to a portion of West Maui. Its engineers are working to get a mobile cell site to Lahaina, where there is significant structural damage to its equipment. The company is also working to deploy drones for search, rescue and recovery efforts.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is expected to hold a news conference on Maui at 3:30 p.m. local time (which is 9:30 p.m. ET) Monday, his office told CNN.

There have been 96 confirmed deaths from the fire, officials said in an update Sunday night local time. Officials are searching through the wreckage for the many who have been missing since the wildfires broke out.

Around 2,200 structures have been destroyed or damaged in western Maui, where the hard-hit historic town of Lahaina is located, Green previously reported. About 86% of the structures were residential, he added.

Crews in west Maui are still sifting through the ashes of what used to be homes and beloved landmarks wiped out by the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years – and the death toll continues to rise.

There have been 96 confirmed deaths from the fire, officials said in an update Sunday night local time. And there are still people unaccounted for as search teams with cadaver dogs look for remains in decimated neighborhoods.

Here's a look at the aftermath and recovery efforts from the Maui wildfires:

See more photos from the catastrophic fires.

Crews in west Maui are still sifting through the ashes of what used to be homes and beloved landmarks wiped out by the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years – and the death toll continues to rise.

Here's what you need to know Monday:

Death toll is expected to keep rising: There have been 96 confirmed deaths from the fire, officials said in an update Sunday night local time. And there are still people unaccounted for as search teams with cadaver dogs look for remains in decimated neighborhoods.

Identifying all the victims won't be easy: Dozens of victims were found dead across the burn area, but only two people had been identified as of Saturday, according to Maui County. “We have to do rapid DNA to identify everyone,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Saturday, urging those with missing family members to contact authorities to coordinate a DNA test to assist in the identification process.

The wildfires burned down residences and businesses: Around 2,200 structures have been destroyed or damaged in western Maui, where the hard-hit historic town of Lahaina is located, according to Gov. Josh Green. About 86% of the structures were residential, he added.

Struggle to house displaced residents and tourists: The devastation has displaced thousands of people, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell estimated. As of Friday night, a total of 1,418 people were at emergency evacuation shelters, according to Maui County officials. Teams are working to get displaced Lahaina residents into temporary homes, with more than 500 hotel rooms already obtained with government subsidies, Green said Sunday.

Warning sirens were not activated: As the deadly fires spread rapidly into neighborhoods, the largest siren system in the world was silent. Emergency communications with residents were largely limited to mobile phones and broadcasters at a time when most power and cell service was already cut. “There were multiple fires at the same time, and the circumstance was greatly complicated also by the heat and the speed with which the fire spread, destroying a great deal of infrastructure,” Green said Saturday when asked about why sirens weren’t heard.

Hawaii's main electric provider sued: A lawsuit claims electrified power lines blown over by high winds helped to cause the destructive Lahaina wildfire. The complaint was filed Saturday against Hawaiian Electric Industries and three subsidiaries, including the power utility that services Maui. Mayor 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 caused the wildfire. An official cause of the wildfire has not yet been determined.

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.