Death toll rises to 89 in Maui fires as searches through destroyed town continue

The death toll in the Maui wildfire keeps mounting as search teams and their cadaver dogs continue the grim work of sifting through the ruins of burned buildings that once made up vibrant communities on island – including the picturesque town of Lahaina.

At least 89 people have died in the fires as of Saturday night, Gov. Josh Green said, and the death toll is expected to increase. The fire is now the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years, according to research from the National Fire Protection Association.

Firefighters have made some progress in containing the blazes, which have leveled entire communities, but officials warn they do not know exactly how many people are still missing after wildfires earlier this week began eating through neighborhoods in western Maui.

The blazes, fanned by powerful winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, have become the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since statehood in 1959.

Hawaii's Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke called the wildfires burning on Maui "unprecedented."

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As of Friday evening local time, all three fires were still active after initial reports came Tuesday. And while there have been some improvements in containment, the risk of flare-ups remains.

People in Kaanapali were evacuating Friday night after spotting a fire in the neighborhood, which is about 4 miles north of hard-hit Lahaina, Maui police said. The fire was later 100% contained, according to county officials.

Of the three largest wildfires that crews have been combating, the deadly fire in Lahaina was 85% contained, Maui County officials said Friday afternoon, up from 80% reported the day before.

The Pulehu fire – located farther east in Kihei – was 80% contained Friday, another sign of improvement from 70% on Thursday, officials noted. A third inferno in the hills of Maui’s central Upcountry was 50% contained on Friday, officials said.

Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11.

Ken Alba carries a bag of ice at a food and supply distribution center that was set up in the parking lot of a Lahaina shopping mall on Thursday, August 17.

Fences are built around destroyed neighborhoods in Lahaina on August 17.

Destroyed homes are seen in Lahaina on Wednesday, August 16.

The state flag of Hawaii flies over a sign in Lahaina that says "tourist keep out" on August 16. Vacationers are being asked to stay home as Maui recovers. Many hotels are housing evacuees.

A woman lays down flowers and prays on a hillside overlooking the rubble of Lahaina on August 16.

The Lahaina neighborhood of Wahikuli Terrace is seen on Tuesday, August 15.

Search-and-rescue workers look through damage in Lahaina on August 15.

An FBI agent watches as two additional refrigerated storage containers arrive next to the Maui Police Forensic Facility where human remains were being stored in Wailuku, Hawaii, on Monday, August 14.

A spoon lies in the rubble of a home destroyed by the wildfire in Kula, Hawaii, on August 14.

Lauren Haley sprays water on hot spots in her Kula neighborhood on August 14.

JP Mayoga, a chef at the Westin Maui Resort, is embraced by his wife, Makalea Ahhee, at the hotel near Lahaina on Sunday, August 13. About 200 employees were living at the hotel with their families.

Volunteers in Kihei, Hawaii, load water onto a boat to be transported to West Maui on August 13.

People pray during a church service in Wailuku on August 13. The Maui Coffee Attic opened up space for the service after a wildfire destroyed Lahaina's Grace Baptist Church.

People wait in line at a checkpoint to gain access to Lahaina on Saturday, August 12.

Volunteers offload supplies that would be delivered to a distribution center for evacuees in Napili-Honokowai, Hawaii, on August 12.

Honolulu Fire Department responders work in Lahaina on August 11.

This aerial photo shows the shells of burned houses, vehicles and buildings in Lahaina on August 11.

Zoltan Balogh clears away trees that were burned by the wildfire in Kula.

Cars are backed up on the Honoapiilani Highway as residents are allowed back into wildfire-affected areas on August 11.

Volunteers in Maalaea, Hawaii, watch truckloads of donated food and supplies depart for Lahaina on August 10.

Wildfire wreckage is seen in Lahaina on August 10.

Volunteers stack canned goods at the War Memorial Stadium in Kahului.

Burned cars sit in Lahaina on August 10.

Vixay Phonxaylinkham holds his 4-year-old child Lana while they wait for their flight at the Kahului Airport on August 10. Phonoxaylinkham, his wife and their five children were heading back to California. They had been caught in the wildfires, but they survived by spending four hours in the ocean.

People arrive on school buses to evacuate the Maui airport on August 10.

Building wreckage is seen in Lahaina on August 10.

Myrna Ah Hee reacts as she waits in front of an evacuation center in Wailuku on August 10. The Ah Hees were looking for her husband's brother. Their home in Lahaina was spared, but the homes of many of their relatives were destroyed by wildfires.

Puong Sui, center, talks to her daughter at the evacuation center in Kahului on August 10. Sui lost her house and belongings in Lahaina and was planning to fly to Las Vegas to reunite with her family.

A wildfire burns in Kihei on August 9.

This satellite image shows an overview of wildfires in Lahaina on August 9.

People gather at the Kahului Airport while waiting for flights on August 9.

Helicopters with the Hawaii Army National Guard perform water bucket drops to assist in the firefighting efforts on August 9.

Residents carry their belongings after wildfires swept through Lahaina on August 9.

Passengers try to sleep on the floor of the Kahului Airport while waiting for flights on August 9.

The hall of the historic Waiola Church and the nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames in Lahaina on August 8.

In pictures: The deadly Maui wildfires

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Meanwhile, search and recovery teams are using cadaver dogs to help find those missing and the increasing possibility of more deceased victims.

So far, crews have not searched inside buildings, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said Friday. The deaths in Lahaina confirmed as of Friday afternoon likely happened outdoors as people were trying to escape flames, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told CNN.

“Without a doubt, there will be more fatalities. We do not know, ultimately, how many will have occurred,” said Green, noting that officials should have a better idea of that within days.

In this photo provided by Tiffany Kidder Winn, a man walks past wildfire wreckage on Aug. 9, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii.

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As search efforts are underway, here’s the latest as of Saturday morning:

Hawaii’s lieutenant governor says she understands that people who live and work in Lahaina are upset by delays in being able to return to the wildfire-damaged community. “I know individuals are very frustrated,” Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke told CNN’s Jessica Dean on Saturday.

“There have been structures that have not been destroyed, and individuals want to go back,” Luke said.

The state does not intend to intervene in the traffic headaches as the few roads in and out of Lahaina are closed and reopened with little warning, according to Luke, adding that Maui County officials will make those calls to protect public safety.

She declined to weigh into the debate over whether the state was sufficiently prepared for the disaster. “All the assessments and investigation will happen, but really the priority is to make sure that people are fed and people have a place to stay,” Luke said.

While it’s too early to determine the full scope of widespread destruction, the losses are estimated in the billions of dollars.

Maui County experienced $5.52 billion in “capital exposure,” which is the estimated cost to rebuild following damage by the Lahaina Fire, according to an updated damage assessment from the Pacific Disaster Center and FEMA on Saturday.

FEMA issued a statement later Saturday saying the figure is not accurate and that it is still too early to determine the cost of rebuilding.

“The $5.5B figure being reported by some media outlets, and cited to the Pacific Disaster Center, is not a dollar amount from FEMA and does not reflect any damage estimations from our agency,” according to a statement from a FEMA spokesperson.

The FEMA spokesperson said the amount listed was characterized as “capital exposed,” which the agency said “is not a measure of rebuilding costs.” The agency said it has not done any cost estimates yet because it is too early in the response and recovery stages.

“Once all life saving and life sustaining needs are met, we will begin to assess the damage and formulate preliminary estimates,” the spokesperson added.

CNN has reached out to the Pacific Disaster Center for clarification.

A total of 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire, according to the Pacific Disaster Center and FEMA assessment.

As the town is closed to residents, one couple told CNN they were not allowed in Friday to see their home.

“The police won’t let us go to our home. We lived in the same house for 50 years since 1971,” Steve Dolan told CNN.

“I wanted to go down there, see if anything’s left, but they won’t let us,” he said. “We’ll deal with it and we’ll wait a week or two and we can go see what’s left and start from scratch and rebuild.”

CNN’s Michelle Watson, Sara Smart, Mike Valerio, Andy Rose, Roxanne Garcia, Chris Boyette and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.