Dog Teams Speed Up Search Through Lahaina Fire Rubble As Death Toll Rises
At least 93 people are confirmed dead, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in decades.
The search and rescue effort in Lahaina entered a new phase Saturday with the arrival of specialist dog teams that are now helping locate those still missing.
The official death count rose to 93, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in decades. Gov. Josh Green announced the new tally and warned that the number would rise.
The search for casualties will take eight to 10 days, Green said, as only a “small percentage of the incinerated area so far has been searched.”
“We know there are individuals within just meters of us who lost their lives,” he said as he surveyed the rubble. “We’re going into the houses for the first time.”
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, said later at a press conference that only 3% of the suspected casualty zone had been assessed and that another 15 dogs were on the way to accelerate the search.
Local rescue crews and first responders found themselves overwhelmed after the blaze began in force on Tuesday, rapidly overtaking people as they fled the area. Two other fires also erupted on Maui, but Lahaina was hardest hit.
Many residents have said they had little to no warning, prompting criticism of the government amid concerns that the evacuation effort was bungled.
Hawaii鈥檚 Attorney General Anne Lopez said last week her office has opened a probe into the response to the wildfires. She promised it would be a comprehensive review of the 鈥渃ritical decision-making and standing policies鈥 before, during and after the fires.
Rick Bartee, the incident support leader working with the units from Washington state, Oakland, California, and Las Vegas, said the teams had some positive detections.
Searching through the rubble can be a challenge for the dogs as each location can have a “whole spectrum of odors,” one of the dog handlers said.
The sweeps proceeded as FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joined Green and other officials to assess the fire damage and coordinate federal aid with the state. “FEMA will stay in Lahaina as long as the governor tells me to be there,” Criswell said, adding that the agency has more than 250 people on the Valley Isle.
Some 1,700 people have already registered for disaster assistance, but how much each individual will receive is unclear, Criswell said. “A lot of it depends on what kind of insurance they have.”
Green said it was too soon to say how much federal money had been released, but that it had been authorized. He said the state insurance division will set up shop in Lahaina Thursday, to help residents.
The presence of federal government representatives in Lahaina is an indication that residents can expect to see some benefits coming their way soon. The Small Business Administration will be offering long-term disaster loans to homeowners and businesses, SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman said.
Thirty-year loans would carry a 4% interest rate for businesses and a 2.5% interest rate for homeowners, she said.
Hazardous Waste Removal
Lahaina remained an extremely hazardous environment, Criswell said, and her other primary concerns included sheltering displaced people and removing debris.
FEMA’s Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton Jr. said the initial waste disposal phase there could take six months to a year, complicated by the lack of capacity at the Maui landfill and the logistical challenges normally associated with the island state.
The Army Corps of Engineers Hawaii District Commander Lt. Col. Ryan Pevey, who will take the lead on debris removal said that given the amount of destruction, there is likely hazardous waste that will need to be disposed of.
Damaged structures will have to be disassembled and assessed for potentially hazardous material by the Environmental Protection Agency once the recovery process is concluded, Pevey said.
Fenton said that could involve shipping certain materials to the mainland by barge.
Green indicated the Army and Navy may be able to provide assistance for that part of the operation.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect the confirmed casualties and the number of FEMA personnel on Maui.
Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.
