The deadly wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 8 have become the deadliest natural disaster in state history, officials said.
The blazes spread rapidly due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful winds. Much of the historic town of Lahaina has been "destroyed," officials said, and the inferno has burned thousands of residential and commercial buildings to the ground.
Over 100 people have died from the devastating wildfires on Maui. Officials have warned that the death toll is expected to rise as they work to contain the active blazes and assess the damage.
Click here to read what we know about some of the victims.
In an undated photo, Buddy Jantoc, center, is seen with his granddaughter Keshia Alakai and her husband. Courtesy of The Family of Buddy Jantoc
Courtesy of The Family of Buddy Jantoc
Aug 16, 2023, 6:19 PM EDT
Portable morgue units helping identify victims, FEMA says
Portable morgue units are helping identify victims of the wildfire and process their remains, FEMA officials told reporters Wednesday.
The first units arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday and consist of exam tables, X-ray units and lab equipment.
The death toll remains at 106 people, with 35% of the disaster zone searched, Maui County and state officials said in an update.
As of 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, 35 autopsies had been completed and seven victims identified -- up from five on Tuesday -- county officials said.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Jennifer Watts
Aug 16, 2023, 6:07 PM EDT
South Korea donates $2 million in aid to Hawaii
South Korea has donated $2 million to Hawaii in support of Maui fire relief, officials said.
The Hawaii Community Foundation said the donation will help support the short-, mid- and long-term recovery of Lahaina, including addressing medical needs and helping families displaced by the fires.
Aug 16, 2023, 5:01 PM EDT
1st reported fire may have been caused by damaged power lines
The first fire reported on Maui may have been caused by damaged power lines, according to Bob Marshall, CEO of the power monitoring company Whisker Labs.
Burnt palm trees tower above an entire neighborhood destroyed after a wildfire swept through Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2023.
ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
On Aug. 7 at 10:47 p.m., a security camera at the Maui Bird Conservation Center captured a bright flash in the woods that, according to Jennifer Pribble, a senior research coordinator at the conservation center, may have been a tree falling on a power line. After that, the power went out, she said.
The fire was reported shortly after midnight, according to Maui County officials.
A view of a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire, Aug. 16, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
According to Marshall, that bright flash seen on video was likely an explosion from a power line fault, meaning the power line came into contact with something like a tree or vegetation.
Marshall told ABC News that its sensors at Maui homes recorded a "very sharp drop in electrical voltage" at precisely the same time the flash was seen on the security video.
"The grid was incredibly stressed Monday night and throughout the day on Tuesday," Marshall said. “It was trying to deal with the winds that it was encountering. and what our network clearly documents is that there were 122 faults that occurred throughout that time period, any one of which could have ignited a fire."
-ABC News' Emmanuelle Saliba
Aug 16, 2023, 2:28 PM EDT
Maui facing 'very long and hard recovery,' FEMA warns
Maui is facing a "very long and hard recovery," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said at Wednesday's White House briefing.
A donations full sign is displayed outside a fire station in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Wailuku, Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Criswell called the response a "very active and dynamic situation" with FEMA search and rescue teams continuing to work closely with state officials to look for those who are missing.
She said 30 specialists from the Department of Health and Human Services' mortuary teams are in Maui and will soon be joined by a team from the Department of Defense to help identify loved ones.
Workers wearing "Morgue Operations" shirts move a body bag into a refrigerated storage container adjacent to the Maui Police Forensic Facility where human remains are stored in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Wailuku, Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2023. On the afternoon of August 14, two additional refrigerated containers arrived for a total of five containers as emergency personnel painstakingly scoured the incinerated landscape for more human remains.
Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images
At least 40 canine search teams are also on the island, "in addition to hundreds of search and rescue personnel, with more on the way," she said. "We're working carefully to search the affected areas thoroughly and compassionately while respecting all of the cultural sensitivities."
Criswell spoke to how difficult and lengthy this search operation will be for the canines to endure the heat and maneuver through the fire debris.
"They have to deal with issues with their paws, walking through glass and debris. And in these conditions, the dogs require frequent rest, which is why we are sending in additional dogs to augment the operation," she said.
FEMA has given $2.3 million in assistance to families. She said there's resources to pay for home repairs, cars and appliances, but only 1,300 households are registered with FEMA so far.
Local residents put up signs along the highway entering the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2023.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Before the briefing, Criswell updated President Joe Biden on the recovery efforts. Criswell said Biden spoke with Hawaii's governor again on Wednesday and approved the state's request for 100% reimbursement for the emergency work that's being done "for a period of 30 days within the first 120 days at the governor's choosing."
Volunteers sort out donated pet foods at the Maui Humane Society in Puunene, central Maui, Hawaii on Aug. 15, 2023.
Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images
Criswell said that when Biden visits Maui on Monday, "he's going to be able to bring hope."
"He's going to speak with the governor and the state’s first lady, and talk to survivors and hear their stories," Criswell said. "And it’s that level of hope that I think is going to really be a positive impact for this community."
