According to data published on the Maui County website, by the end of August 12, the number of victims killed in the serious forest fire in Lahaina city, Maui County, Hawaii, USA, had risen to 93 people and is expected to increase.
At least three large fires broke out late on August 8, 2023, along the west coast of Maui Island in Hawaii. (Photo: Reuters)
The toll surpasses the 2018 Northern California wildfires, which killed 85 people and destroyed the city of Paradise. The Hawaii fires are also the worst in the US in more than a century, since the Minnesota and Wisconsin fires of 1918, which killed 453 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Speaking to the press on the same day, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said the fires burned an area of 850 hectares; about 2,200 structures were destroyed or damaged, 86% of which were residential areas, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes; material damage was about 6 billion USD.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates the cost of rebuilding Lahaina at $5.5 billion. Governor Green said the priority is to provide housing and medical services to residents. More than 1,400 people have been placed in emergency shelters. 1,000 hotel rooms have been set up for those who lost their homes, and the government continues to look for sources to provide free housing.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but local officials say it was caused by a combination of factors including dry weather, strong winds and low humidity. Communications failures made it difficult for emergency response agencies to coordinate.
PEOPLE'S NEWSPAPER
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