Maui wildfires updates: President Biden, first lady get firsthand look at damage

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference Monday night that 2,000 rooms have been secured for those displaced by the Maui fires. Also, help is coming in the form of hundreds of mental health care professionals from Hawaii and other states, with Hawaii waving its licensing requirements to make this happen.

Green also announced that 25% of the impacted areas have been searched. There are 20 cadaver dog teams who are continuing to search. They hope to have covered 85-90% of the search area by the weekend. On Tuesday, the Gov. said family members of those victims who have been identified will receive notifications. Fingerprinting has only allowed for three positive IDs so far.

Maui Police Chief Pelletier said at the news conference that one person had been arrested for trespassing in Lahaina. Pelletier said people need to show reverence for the area. Additionally, he pointed out the area contains toxic chemicals.

Gov. Green said he would try to block out-of-state people from buying any property damaged or destroyed during the state of emergency. He’s contacted the attorney general to place a moratorium on selling damaged or destroyed properties.

A representative from Hawaii Electric said at the news conference that an investigation is underway into what happened. When pressed about why power lines were not de-energized during powerful winds, the rep said that, unlike California, the state does not have a shut-off program, which is "controversial,” not universally accepted and creates a hardship for the vulnerable and people with medical needs. The rep also noted that electricity powers the pumps that provide water to fight the fire.

When asked about reports that there was insufficient water to fight the fires, Gov. Green said the comprehensive investigation is underway. He added there has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years, with limited water for houses and people.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced Monday it's launched pollution response teams and equipment to deal with the environmental impact of the Maui wildfires, as it shifts focus from search and rescue operations.

“While the Coast Guard is always postured for search and rescue operations, we are also focused on minimizing maritime environmental impacts as a result of the Maui fires,” Cmdr. Kyra Dykeman, the deputy incident commander for the Coast Guard Maui fire response, said in a news release. “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the community we serve.”

The USCG placed a 100-foot boom "at the mouth of Lahaina Harbor to contain potential hazardous contaminants and materials," USCG said.

The death toll from the Maui wildfires has increased to 99, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.

During an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Green said the number of fatalities is expected to go up "very significantly," as there are still hundreds of people unaccounted for.

"A lot of people had to run and left all they had behind," the governor told CNN. "They don't have their phones, [and] the phones are incinerated."

The first 80 victims were found on Front Street in cars and along the water, according to Green.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency updated reporters Monday afternoon about their current efforts on the island and said the operations aren't considered solely a recovery effort yet, despite the use of cadaver dogs.

"We know that there are people not yet accounted for, but we anticipate that there are people who have just moved to different locations either in Maui, different islands in Hawaii, or perhaps even the mainland with loved ones and family members," Jeremy Greenberg, FEMA's director for the Operations Division, said.

Tonya Hoover, the deputy U.S. fire administrator at the U.S. Fire Administration, told reporters that high winds complicated fire mitigation efforts. She added that many local firefighters lost their homes in the wildfires.

"As you might imagine, seeing the fires effect on their community and their own losses have taken an emotional toll on them as well," Hoover said.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty