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

The fires burned thousands of homes and commercial buildings to the ground.

ByMark Osborne, Meredith Deliso, Morgan Winsor, Nadine El-Bawab, Mary Kekatos, Kevin Shalvey, Jolie Lash, Ivan Pereira, and Kiara Alfonseca
Video byJulian Kim and Emmanuelle Saliba
Last Updated: August 21, 2023, 2:00 PM EDT

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.

Maui Wildfires
ABC News, AP, Nasa

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Aug 17, 2023, 5:36 am

Maui Strong: Charities to directly support wildfire relief efforts

On Thursday, "Good Morning America" and ABC News organized efforts to help viewers get involved in relief efforts for survivors of the Maui fires.

"Good Morning America" is helping raise awareness for Maui fire relief efforts.
ABC News

How to help:

-- Maui Strong Fund

-- Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

-- University of Hawai'i Foundation

-- Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund for Maui

-- American Red Cross/ABC

-ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy

Aug 16, 2023, 11:55 am

What we know about the victims

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.

PHOTO: In an undated photo, Buddy Jantoc, center, is seen with his granddaughter Keshia Alakai and her husband.
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 18, 2023, 1:29 PM EDT

Shelters slowly emptying, more than 1,000 federal responders deployed

The number of fire survivors in congregate shelters has been cut in half as officials move more people into stable housing, and the Red Cross anticipates all residents still in shelters will be relocated to hotels by next week, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Fences are built around destroyed neighborhoods in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug.17, 2023.
Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images

Over 1,000 federal responders, including 350 search and rescue team members and K-9 teams, have been deployed to Hawaii, according to FEMA.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Aug 18, 2023, 7:06 AM EDT

Fire moved 'like a freight train,' FEMA official says

The fire that ripped through Lahaina moved so quickly that there was little chance for those fleeing to outrun it, an official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency told ABC News.

A FEMA truck is seen at the Sheraton Hotel in Lahaina, in Hawaii, on August 16, 2023, in the aftermath of the fires that scorched the town.
Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images

"This fire was moving like a freight train," John Mills, an agency spokesperson, told ABC News' Whit Johnson on "Good Morning America" on Friday.

Mills added, "People could not drive fast enough to outrun it, much less run fast enough. They sought shelter anywhere they could."

Aug 18, 2023, 5:29 AM EDT

More than half of destroyed area searched

Search crews had covered about 58% of the area destroyed by wildfires in Maui by Thursday evening, up from about 40% the evening prior, officials said in a late update.

An aerial image shows destroyed homes and vehicles after a wind driven wildfire burned from the hills through neighborhoods to the Pacific Ocean, as seen in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 17, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Search and rescue team members work in the area devastated by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. The blazes incinerated the historic island community of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Jae C. Hong/AP

The number of fatalities confirmed remained at 111 as of about 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, officials said.

-ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway

Aug 17, 2023, 9:03 PM EDT

Maui Emergency Management Agency official resigns over health reasons

Maui Emergency Management Agency administrator Herman Andaya, who on Wednesday defended not sounding the sirens as wildfires ripped through the island, has resigned.

Andaya cited health reasons for resigning, according to a news release from the mayor's office

In this image taken from video, Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya speaks during a news conference in Wailuku, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
Mike Householder/AP

Mayor Richard Bissen accepted the resignation and announced Thursday night he will quickly work to fill the position.

“Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible and I look forward to making that announcement soon,” Bissen said in a statement.

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