As portable morgue arrives, 2 Maui fire victims are identified
On western Maui, the fatalities from a fast-moving wildfire continue to climb more than a week after the deadly blaze turned a historic town into an ash-filled graveyard.
Authorities on Tuesday released the names of two of more than 100 victims killed in the Aug. 8 fire that razed Lahaina, a coastal town that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both of Lahaina, were killed in the blaze, Maui County officials announced late Tuesday. The Maui Police Department said that at least three other victims have been identified and that their names will be released once families are notified.
More than 190 Federal Emergency Management Agency search crew members and 20 cadaver dogs were leading the mission to recover human remains, authorities said. At least 1,000 people remained unaccounted for late Tuesday, and officials have said they expect the death toll to climb further.
The search for and identification of victims has moved slowly. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday sent additional mortuary teams to assist local efforts in Hawaii, along with a portable morgue unit — deployed when a disaster spurs more fatalities than can be handled locally. The temporary morgue includes 22½ tons of supplies and equipment needed for victim identification and the processing of remains, including lab and X-ray equipment, officials said.
Officials have urged families looking for loved ones to submit DNA swabs to assist with the identification process.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui on Monday to meet with first responders and survivors as well as federal, state and local officials, White House press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday.
As search efforts continue and the death toll climbs, questions and anger continue to build among residents about the lack of warnings from officials. State records indicate that none of the 80 sirens across the island were activated the day the fires broke out. Officials have said they broadcast emergency alerts to television and radio stations and mobile phones, but the flames — which tore through the area at 1 mile per minute — wiped out power lines and effectively stopped communication in the area.
Communities on the west side of Maui that weren’t damaged by the fire have also expressed frustration. With roads closed, residents remain cut off from supplies, electricity and other critical aid. The burn area continues to be restricted, with officials citing chemicals and other hazards.
The road to Lahaina opened Tuesday evening, Gov. Josh Green said. It will be open daily until 10 p.m., but late-night access — from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. — is limited to West Maui residents and employees and first responders, Green said.
The Lahaina fire was 85% contained Tuesday. The cause of the blaze and the level of preparedness for its deadly destruction are under investigation, Green said.
Another fire on Maui continues to burn east of Lahaina. The Upcountry/Kula fire, one of several that broke out last Tuesday, is 75% contained, officials said, noting that “hot spots in gulches, forests and other hard-to-reach places — along with land divisions and fences — make establishment of complete control lines difficult.”
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