Hawaii wildfires: Death toll rises as search crews continue to comb through ruins
The wildfires have devastated an entire island. ITV News' Peter Smith has the latest as Hawaii Governor Josh Green said crews hope to find 10 to 20 bodies a day
The death toll from the Maui wildfires rose to 99 on Monday - a figure that is likely to increase as search crews comb neighbourhoods where flames moved a mile a minute.
The blazes that consumed most of the historic town of Lahaina are already the deadliest in the US in more than a century, and the cause is still under investigation.
Governor Josh Green said the search will take time and and asked for space to do it properly.
"For those people who have walked into Lahaina because they really wanted to see, know that they're very likely walking on iwi,” he said at a news conference on Maui, using the Hawaiian word for "bones."
Just three bodies have been identified so far and officials will start releasing names on Tuesday, according to Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, who renewed an appeal for families with missing relatives to provide DNA samples.
In an interview with CBS on Monday, Mr Green estimated searchers will find the remains of ten to 20 people per day until they finish their work.
"And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really," he said.
As mobile phone service has slowly been restored, the number of people missing dropped to about 1,300 from over 2,000, Mr Green added.
Twenty cadaver dogs and dozens of searchers are making their way through blocks reduced to ash.
As of Monday, they had searched about 25% of the area, up from just 3% over the weekend, said Pelletier.
The blaze that swept into Lahaina destroyed nearly every building in the town.
That fire has been 85% contained, according to the county. Another blaze known as the Upcountry fire has been 65% contained. Even where the fire has retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. That has left many unable to return home.
The Red Cross said 575 evacuees were spread across five shelters on Monday, including the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku.
Green said that thousands of people will need housing for at least 36 weeks.
Meanwhile, some state officials say there is a shortage of water available for firefighters, and they blame a recent ruling by an environmental court judge.
It’s part of a long-running battle between environmentalists and private companies over the decades-long practice of diverting water from East Maui streams that started during Hawaii’s sugar plantation past.
Mr Green said there are people fighting over access to water to fight fires.
"We have a difficult time on Maui and other rural areas getting enough water for houses, for our people, for any response," he said.
He also said the attorney general’s office is reviewing decisions related to the fires.
More than 3,000 people have registered for federal assistance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and that number was expected to grow. FEMA has started to provide $700 (£550) to displaced residents to cover the cost of food, water, first aid and medical supplies. The money is in addition to whatever amount residents qualify for to cover the loss of homes and personal property. The Biden administration is seeking $12 (£9.4) billion more for the government’s disaster relief fund as part of its supplemental funding request to Congress. Green said “leaders all across the board” have helped by donating over 450,000 kilograms of food as well as ice, water, nappies and baby formula.
Elsewhere, Barack Obama, Jason Momoa, and Bella Hadid are among the famous faces urging members of the public to donate aid to those affected by the fires.
The former US president said efforts needed to be "stepped up" and that thoughts and prayers "in a moment like this are not enough".
Over the weekend, US TV show host Oprah Winfrey visited an emergency shelter on the fire-ravaged island to highlight the plight of evacuees.
Winfrey, who is also a part-time Maui resident, said her biggest concern was “having the organisation that’s needed to get the money that people want to send directly to the people”.
In a video posted online, Former US President Obama said: “We now find ourselves mourning the lives that are lost in our thoughts and prayers to the families that have lost so much.
“The thing about it is though, thoughts and prayers in the moment like this are not enough. We have to step up and we have to help those families and we have to help (them) rebuild.”
He posted links to the Hawaiian Red Cross and urged people to donate to the charity.
Aquaman star Momoa, who is a native Hawaiian, shared details for several charity music events to support the people of the affected islands.
“In times of great need, Hawaiʻi bands together to help one another, and this time is no different,” he wrote.
“Let the power of music unite us and bring relief to Maui’s affected communities. Together, we can make a positive impact.”
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