Current:Home > FinancePoinbank Exchange|Crews searching for Maui wildfire victims could find another "10 to 20 people" a day, Hawaii's governor says -EverVision Finance
Poinbank Exchange|Crews searching for Maui wildfire victims could find another "10 to 20 people" a day, Hawaii's governor says
Surpassing View
Date:2025-04-10 20:36:02
As the death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century grew to 99 on Monday,Poinbank Exchange Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said there is a grim expectation of further casualties.
"There are more fatalities that will come," Green told CBS News. "The fire was so hot that what we find is the tragic finding that you would imagine, as though a fire has come through and it's hard to recognize anybody."
All residents of Lahaina — a historic town that bore the brunt of the blaze — have either escaped or perished in the fire, according to Green, but it could take 10 days for a full death toll to be determined as crews could find "10 to 20 people per day probably until they finish "
"We are prepared for many tragic stories," Green said.
Lahaina has proven difficult for rescuers to access. Green has surveyed the town's ruins twice, and said the magnitude of the destruction has left the area unrecognizable.
"There's nothing to see except full devastation. The buildings are almost non-existent," he said.
Hawaii has a statewide outdoor warning siren system, which can be used to notify residents ahead of natural disasters or human-caused events, including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats and hazardous material incidents, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
But U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, whose district includes Maui, said Sunday on "Face the Nation" that the warning sirens "likely did not go off," suggesting the Lahaina fire was too fast-moving.
The issue of emergency alerts and why sirens weren't activated is something Green said will be investigated by the state's attorney general. The investigation, Green said, aims "not to find fault in anyone but to say why this worked and this didn't work."
Despite the failure of alarms, Green said that given the fire's intensity and the weather conditions on Maui when the wildfires ignited, crews had limited options to slow the blaze.
"if you put a fire truck in the way of the flames that were coming through at 1,000 miles an hour, the fire truck would have been incinerated, in addition to the people," he said. "So it's unlikely that much could have been done except of course moving people out before, and that's what we'll talk about."
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Family of woman killed by falling utility pole to receive $30M settlement
- Bob Menendez to be replaced by New Jersey governor’s former top aide, AP source says
- At least 1 arrest made in connection to Matthew Perry’s death, authorities say
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- 'Jackpot!' star John Cena loves rappers, good coffee and a fine tailored suit
- Never seen an 'Alien' movie? 'Romulus' director wants to scare you most
- How you can get a free scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins Wednesday
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Water crisis in Mississippi capital developed during failures in oversight, watchdog says
Ranking
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Millions of kids are still skipping school. Could the answer be recess — and a little cash?
- Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha
- NASA Shares Update on Astronauts Stuck Indefinitely in Space
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Bob Menendez to be replaced by New Jersey governor’s former top aide, AP source says
- Chicago police chief highlights officer training as critical to Democratic convention security
- Taylor Swift fans in London say they feel safe because 'there is security everywhere'
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument
Britney Spears' Ex Sam Asghari Reveals Special Girl in His Life—But It's Not What You Think
Injured Ferguson officer shows ‘small but significant’ signs of progress in Missouri
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
football player, 14, dies after collapsing during practice in Alabama
Jordan Chiles Olympic Medal Controversy: USA Gymnastics Reveal Further Issues With Ruling
The Notebook Actress Gena Rowlands Dead at 94