By Aditi Sangal, Tori B. Powell, Matt Meyer, Elise Hammond, Chris Lau and Andrew Raine, CNN
From CNN’s Chris Boyette and Rebekah Riess
Search and rescue teams with cadaver dogs from California and Washington are in Maui to assist in recovery efforts in the aftermath of wildfires in the area, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“The devastation I saw today is significant,” FEMA Region 9 director Robert Fenton said at a news conference Thursday.
Federal agencies would also provide assistance in cleanup and debris removal as well as financial assistance for those displaced by the fires, Fenton said.
From CNN's Lisa Respers France
Actor Jason Momoa, one of Hawaii’s biggest stars, has been posting on his verified Instagram account about the lethal wildfires in Maui, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people and massive destruction on the island.
“We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and ‘ohana on Maui who have been impacted by the recent wildfires,” the caption reads on one of Momoa’s posts, which reposted information from the community organization ‘Āina Momona.
Momoa, who was born in in Honolulu, also shared information that included a locator list for those searching for their loved ones, a list of organizations that are aiding in the disaster, and he also advised people to not book hotel stays there at the moment.
The actor is a frequent booster of Hawaiian organizations that support its culture, environment and social activism.
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
The current death toll of 55 in Maui wildfires is only the number of those found outside of buildings, Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. told NBC Friday.
“We have not yet searched in the interior of the buildings,” Bissen said. “We’re waiting for FEMA to help with that search, as they are equipped to handle the hazmat conditions of the buildings that have that have been burned.”
When asked if the thought the island’s siren warning system worked sufficiently, Bissen said it was “an impossible situation.”
“Everything happened so quickly. I can't comment on whether or not the sirens sounded or not, but I know that the fires came up so quickly and they spread so fast,” he told NBC.
From CNN's Ray Sanchez
The wind-whipped fires in Maui spread swiftly and created a deadly tinderbox, overwhelming residents and local officials in one of the nation’s deadliest wildfires.
“It’s very strange to hear about severe wildfires in Hawaii – a wet, tropical island – but strange events are becoming more common with climate change,” Jennifer Marlon, a research scientist and lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment, told CNN.
Fueled by a combination of strong winds and dry conditions – and complicated by the island’s geography – the fires have killed at least 36 people.
Maui’s wildfire appears to be one of the deadliest in modern US history. The fire already ranks as the second deadliest in the past 100 years, trailing California’s Camp fire, which killed 85 people in November 2018, according to CalFire.
While the wildfire that engulfed Lahaina, an economic hub in western Maui, is now 80% contained, crews are facing serious challenges.
Here are some factors that made it difficult to combat the fires that have plunged a state known for its stunning natural beauty into an unprecedented crisis:
Drought contributes to fire spread: Drought worsened in Hawaii over the past week, leading to fire spread, according to the US Drought Monitor released Thursday. Severe level drought conditions in Maui County ticked up to 16% from 5% last week, while statewide moderate drought levels jumped to 14% from 6%.
Dried-out land and vegetation can fuel wildfires, which can swiftly turn deadly if strong winds help fan the flames toward communities.
Hurricane-related winds fuel fire weather conditions: Hurricane Dora wasn't helping matters. Even as the storm roared 500 miles south of Hawaii, a strong high-pressure system stayed in place to the north, with the two forces combining to produce “very strong and damaging winds,” according to the National Weather Service.
These winds coupled with low humidity levels produced "dangerous fire weather conditions” through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said.
How the land is used has changed: Nonnative species now cover nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s total land area, and invasive grasses and shrubs become highly flammable in the dry season, said Clay Trauernicht, an assistant specialist who studies tropical fire at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Hawaii also has lost large plantations and ranches, with fire-prone grasses overtaking fallow lands, he said.
Geography and limited resources stymie firefighting: The geography of Hawaii – an island chain in the Pacific – and limited firefighting resources also complicate efforts.
Personnel at the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife are primarily natural resource managers, foresters, biologists and technicians – not full-time wildland firefighters, according to the agency website.
“West Maui is kind of a perfect example – one highway through the whole place,” Trauernicht told CNN. “Our resources are limited to what’s on island. The resources … are going to be spread thin.”
Fewer than 300 firefighting personnel responded to the state’s second-largest fire, on the Big Island in 2021, Trauernicht said.
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Lahaina resident Cole Millington hadn't received an evacuation notice as of about 4 p.m. local time Tuesday, but he says the "huge plume of black smoke" was looking serious enough that he and his roommates decided to pack his bags and leave.
"There wasn't really an evacuation notice for us. It was more — we realized the town and our street looked like it was going to burn," he said.
"Within 15 minutes of talking about that and seeing the smoke, we were running down into our cars, anything we can grab — go bags — mostly nothing," he added. "I got my passport and my dog and my truck, and we were peeling out of the driveway."
As he was getting into his truck, he recalled getting one evacuation note "It pinged me as I was getting in my truck to leave. That warning was useless. We have tsunami warnings that I think should have been utilized. I think this could have been handled so much better in so many ways. So many of us residents felt like we had absolutely no warning."
As he drove through the gusty winds, he said he saw telephone poles and trees on the road. "There's people screaming in the streets. There's no one saying this is where you should go, this is what you should do."
"It happened so unbelievably quickly that it was really difficult, really scary," he said.
The community now needs relief, he said.
Millington's local business was also lost to the wildfire. But he said his goal is to use the reach of his business to collect funds through a fundraiser he has set up for rebuilding that will take months and years. "We need real support, this is a severe disaster."
From CNN's Michelle Watson
Maui County, Hawaii, will provide updates on the aftermath of wildfires in the area via radio stations on Friday starting 9 a.m. HST (3 p.m. ET), the county said in an update on Facebook.
"Radio updates will supplement information posted on the county’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages," the post added.
The radio stations where updates will be provided are as follows, according to the release:
From CNN's Samantha Delouya
Ravaging wildfires have caused widespread devastation in Maui — dozens of people have been killed, homes and businesses have been wiped out, and nearly 11,000 customers are grappling with power outages. The extent of the damage isn’t fully known. Rebuilding the island will likely take months or even years.
CNN Impact Your World is raising money to support relief efforts. Click here to help.
If you’re looking to donate money to help those affected by the wildfires in Hawaii — or looking to support any charitable cause close to your heart — here are some tips so you can ensure your money is going to the right place:
According to the FTC, there are some telltale signs that an organization soliciting donations isn’t legitimate. In general, be wary of callers soliciting contributions. While many legitimate organizations do call for donations, make sure you listen carefully to the name of the charity, write it down, and then research it before pledging a contribution, the FTC said.
Don’t let anyone rush you into donating on the phone on the spot; take time to do the proper research. 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.
You can report charity scams directly to the FTC or your state charity regulator.
CNN's Scottie Andrew contributed reporting to this post.
From CNN Staff
The wildfires ripping through Maui will likely be the largest natural disaster the state of Hawaii has ever seen, Gov. Josh Green said Thursday, as the blazes have killed dozens, displaced thousands of others and wiped out communities.
At least 55 people have died in the fires, though that number is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue across the island, officials said.
None of the fires burning in Maui have been completely contained, officials said Thursday.
Here are the latest developments:
From CNN's Alisha Ebrahimji
Much of the western Maui community of Lahaina, home to about 12,000, has been destroyed, displacing hundreds of families, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
More than 270 structures have been impacted in Lahaina, county officials added, many of them near one of the largest and most storied banyan trees in the United States.
A top tourist attraction, Lahaina once was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, beloved by its kings and queens, as well as whaling ship crews and missionaries, according to the National Park Service. It’s been a National Historic Landmark for more than six decades.
With cell service down on the island and witness reports still coming in, here’s what we know so far about some of the important places affected by the wildfires:
Historic landmarks impacted by Maui fires
