Recovery on Maui could take years, officials say, as the death toll rises again

Officials say it could take years — or longer — to repair the damage from this week’s wildfires that devastated parts of Maui, claimed dozens of lives and razed a historic town.

That acknowledgement came as the death toll on Maui was raised to at least 55 people. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned at a news conference that the death toll will rise, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been inaccessible due to the three ongoing fires.

“We are seeing loss of life,” Green said. “As you know, the number has been rising and we will continue to see loss of life.” He said that the fires were the “greatest emergency we’ve seen in decades.”

Green said many hundreds of homes were destroyed and that thousands of people would need to find places to stay. He called on people around the state to take in displaced residents from west Maui if they had the room to accommodate them.

Officials painted a picture of absolute devastation in the historic town of Lahaina. They said that power, water, and internet continued to be down there. When asked for specific numbers on how many structures had been burned, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said: “I’m telling you, none of it’s there. It’s all burned to the ground.”

Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura said there were still active fires, and with the current weather pattern, potential for rapid fire behavior. He said people still needed to stay out of the burn areas because it was still very dangerous, with falling telephone poles and other safety hazards.

Earlier on Thursday, Maui County officials provided more details on the three different active fires in the area: the Lahaina, Pulehu, and Upcountry fires. In Lahaina, they said, the fire was 80% contained as of this morning. The Pulehu fire was 70% contained this morning after overnight crews used heavy equipment to create firebreaks. And the Upcountry fire, officials said, had an undetermined containment percentage.

President Biden, meanwhile, approved a federal major disaster declaration, making funding available to people, governments and nonprofits affected by the wildfires.

The White House said he also spoke on the phone with Green and expressed “his deep condolences for the lives lost and vast destruction of land and property.”

Hawaii is also receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said. But she cautions that it will take the island, and its people, a long time to recover.

“A lot of individuals will have mental health issues that they’re suffering. They have never been in a situation where they just overnight lost the businesses that they invested in,” she says. “It’s going to take years, sometimes maybe decades, for us to replace some of the infrastructure, including schools and roads.”

The historic town of Lahaina — a popular tourist destination and economic hub — has been especially hard-hit. Luke got a glimpse of the destroyed homes and businesses firsthand while taking a Coast Guard flight over the area.

“It just looked like the whole town went … into ashes,” she said. “And we’re so heartbroken to see this happen before our eyes.”

Luke said internet and cell phone service are down on parts of the island, making it hard for people to check in with their loved ones or call for help.

Hawaii’s Big Island is also currently seeing fires, but local officials there have not yet reported injuries or destroyed homes there.

And while the Big Island and Maui County have shelters, she says they are crowded with evacuees and have also been forced to close down and reopen in new locations to avoid the fire’s path.