It’s been almost a week since the deadly wildfires broke out in Maui, basically wiping the historic town of Lahaina off the map.
The wildfire has been the deadliest in over 100 years. At present, the death toll is 96 and is expected to climb. The owner of Cheeseburger in Paradise says 100 of her employees are missing. Approximately 3,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed, with damage estimates totaling $6 billion thus far.
Horrific video shows people in the ocean trying to escape the deadly wildfire’s flames. Victims described it as a leapfrog of fire that pushed them farther into the water as they spent hours in the ocean trying to survive.
FEMA has been out in force, looking at the damage and promising residents a strong recovery.
“I want the people of Maui to know that, governor, we’re gonna be with you every step of the way throughout this response,” said Deanne Criswell, a FEMA administrator.
Thousands of locals are still waiting for a chance to see what’s left of their homes, staying in shelters and hotels.
A cook at the Westin Maui in Kaanapali is still making three meals a day but instead of serving hotel guests, he’s been feeding around 200 hotel employees and family members who have been living there.
“Just get up, get downstairs, see what can be done. We got a lot of food on property. Why let it go to waste?” J.P. Mayoga said. “We do breakfast, boom, lunch, dinner. Plan it for a few days. And we just serve it. We let people know whoever’s here. We got breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
Hawaii Governor Josh Green compared the damage to a war zone and is warning that the death toll will most likely rise significantly.
“There’s a lot of loss here. And I think we’re going to see significantly higher numbers in the coming days as our professionals from FEMA and Maui Fire and Police do their job. We’re proud of them for doing their job,” Green said.
Our parent company, Nexstar, is helping raise money for the wildfire victims. You can also text ‘HAWAII’ to 90999 to make a $10 donation.