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, 7:54 PM EDT
Death toll increases to 110, 38% of impact zone searched: Governor
The death toll from the fires is now at 110, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.
The governor said more personnel and resources, including 10 extra cadaver dogs, have been deployed to the affected areas. Roughly 38% of the impact zone has been searched, he said.
Green said roughly 2,000 Maui Electric Company customers are still without power and cautioned that it could take a long time for restoration.
-ABC News' Jenna Harrison
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."
