Aug 12 As death toll of Maui wildfires rises to 80, a timeline of failed communications emerges By Rebecca Boone, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts… Continue reading
Aug 12 Analysis: Burning of Lahaina’s sacred sites is a major loss for Native Hawaiians. But their history will live on By Rosalyn R. LaPier, The Conversation Lahaina has been revered by its Indigenous peoples as a sacred place for generations. It is believed to be the home of Kihawahine, a woman who transformed into a goddess. Continue reading
Aug 11 Lahaina residents met with devastation as they return to Maui town’s charred remains By Claire Rush, Associated Press/Report for America, Ty O'Neil, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press Residents of Lahaina were being allowed back home on Friday for the first time since wildfires that have killed at least 67 people turned large swaths of the centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble. Continue reading
Aug 11 Watch 8:58 Why people in Maui were caught off guard by the deadly wildfires By Stephanie Sy, Eliot Barnhart, Solveig Rennan, Courtney Norris, Dorothy Hastings At least 55 people are now confirmed dead after fast-moving wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui this week. Those who did manage to survive now face the daunting task of piecing their lives back together. Stephanie Sy reports on… Continue watching
Aug 11 How to help survivors of the deadly wildfires in Maui By News Desk and Glenn Gamboa, Associated Press Experts recommend donating to nonprofits based on Hawaii that have provided rapid response services in the past, and organizations with deep local ties and knowledge of the affected communities. Continue reading
Aug 11 Maui wildfire burns 150-year-old banyan tree, threatening survival By Bobby Caina Calvan, Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press A giant 150-year-old banyan tree is among many landmarks in Lahaina which have been damaged. The sprawling tree that was the oceanside community's heart is now uncertain. The tree's limbs were scorched by a devastating fire that wiped away generations… Continue reading
Aug 11 Questions grow over wildfire warnings as Maui death toll rises By Ty O'Neil, Jennifer Kelleher, Rebecca Boone, Associated Press, Claire Rush, Associated Press/Report for America Many of survivors said in interviews Thursday that they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare, only realizing they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby. Continue reading
Aug 11 How the Hawaii fires will take a toll on the state’s natural treasures By Doug Glass, Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press Experts say the fires are likely to transform the landscape in unwanted ways including hastening erosion, sending sediment into waterways and degrading coral that is critically important to the islands, marine life and the humans who live nearby. Continue reading
Aug 10 Watch 7:50 What fueled the Hawaiian wildfires that killed dozens and leveled historic Lahaina town By Amna Nawaz, Courtney Norris Crews are still fighting fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui. At least 36 people are known dead and more than 270 buildings damaged or destroyed across a blackened landscape. It's the nation's deadliest fire disaster in five years. Amna… Continue watching
Aug 10 Wildfire blazes through Maui, killing at least 53 people and destroying historic Hawaiian town By Ty O'Neil, Audrey McAvoy, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Christopher Weber, Associated Press Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Thursday that 53 people were killed in the devastating Maui wildfires, and the death toll will likely continue to rise. Continue reading