Maui Hawaii Wildfires, 97 dead, Aug 2023

[JerseyGirl]

Maui fire: First victims named as death toll reaches 111

More than 1,000 people are still feared to be missing as the death toll continues to climb.

www.bbc.co.uk

The first names of people killed by wildfires in Maui have been released by officials, one week after at least 106 people died on the Hawaiian island.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Maui fires live updates: Biden to visit Hawaii after backlash over response as death toll hits 106

Hawaiian authorities have begun releasing the names of victims as the death toll continues to rise

www.aol.com

The death toll from the Maui wildfires is now over 100 as of Monday evening with officials announcing the remains of 106 people had been found.
The grim figure makes the tragedy the deadliest wildfire in the US since 1918 – the death toll is expected to rise as more than 1,000 people remain missing and only 32 per cent of the burned area of Lahaina has been searched.

 

[Gemmie]

Pre-existing mortgage payments would not be wiped out due to the fire. Does it become a tangle between federal bank loans, lower interest rates (4%), burned-house mortgages and insurance companies? They'll get their land back when cadavre dogs are finished and debris is taken away, I suppose.

Will banks holding mortgages for homes in and around Lahaina penalize clients for no-penalty early mortgage payout ... so they can take the federal 30 year 4% fixed rate mortgage to rebuild.

On the Island, where is the dump? Is the federal government paying to remove debris the size of an entire town from the Island? If so, to where?

Financial juggling act when all the paperwork was lost in a flash fire, including personal identification documents. It must be tiring for the people of Lahaina.

I've been worried about where all the stuff will be dumped as well, due to an issue where I live (county of less than 100K). We have no more space without continuing to have the dump sprawl. Other counties throughout the state are tapped out for space, and are trucking their garbage to our county!! WTH?

And there are already people sprawling (Others that know me know my opinion that I feel there are too many people on this planet causing all sorts of probs). People and garbage dumps can't continue to sprawl endlessly. Animals need a place to live too.

Then I worry that the cleanup of all these fires will cause more environmental problems. It needs to be done, I just don't know how they are gonna do it. And in a clean manner without sprawl.

 

[Gemmie]

I'm curious about where the Hawaiian people of Maui plan to put/store/export the debris from the incinerated town of Lahaina.

Can't drop it into the ocean - obviously, although I'm not convinced the USA navy would agree. Can't rebuild with the mess. Have authorities released any information about the clean up?

Is there a Maui sanitation department dump that can take the debris of a town?

This isn't an answer to where they'll dump it... but I hadn't even considered the toxicity of it all.

State health officials say that cleanup of toxic materials resulting from the fire in Lāhainā will likely take weeks, if not months.

Over the next two weeks, Felton said teams led by the Environmental Protection Agency will work to remove obvious hazards, like propane tanks, from the area.

But the majority of ash and debris will take much longer to clear, and Felton warned that it may contain several toxic contaminants.

There is a high chance that many of Lāhainā's older buildings had lead paint or asbestos, since the town was built well before the 1970s.

These materials are likely still present in debris and could come in contact with skin or accidentally be inhaled. Arsenic, which was used in the 20th century as a herbicide on sugar and pineapple plantations, is another concern.

Health officials say cleanup of toxic materials in Lāhainā may take months

State health officials say that cleanup of toxic materials resulting from the fire in Lāhainā will likely take weeks, if not months. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports on what returning residents can do to keep themselves safe.

www.hawaiipublicradio.org

 

[LaborDayRN]

Devastating wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 8 have claimed the lives of at least 106 people while many more remain missing, according to authorities.

Officials on Maui have repeatedly warned that the death toll is expected to rise as they work to contain the active blazes and assess the damage.

Here's what we know about some of the victims.

Franklin Trejos, 68​

Franklin Trejos is seen here in an undated file photo.
Courtesy Shannon Weber-Bogar
Franklin Trejos, 68, died in the historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, his friend Shannon Weber-Bogar confirmed to ABC News. ....There are stories of four other people who were lost at the link.....

Dozens dead from Maui wildfires: What we know about the victims

Here's what we know about those who have been killed by the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Gemmie]

I'm curious about where the Hawaiian people of Maui plan to put/store/export the debris from the incinerated town of Lahaina.

Can't drop it into the ocean - obviously, although I'm not convinced the USA navy would agree. Can't rebuild with the mess. Have authorities released any information about the clean up?

Is there a Maui sanitation department dump that can take the debris of a town?

What happens to all the debris?​

How to safely dispose of all the debris as the community is cleaned up and recovers is another question.

After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, where about 1,200 structures were destroyed, the cleanup generated 300,000 tons of waste. In Maui, debris may have to be taken off the island for disposal.

Cleanup and recovery from a disaster of this magnitude takes years. In the process, I recommend residents reach out to public health departments for advice to help them stay healthy and safe.

Also from the article:

Even buildings deemed structurally safe may have pollutants that make them unsafe for human health.

http://Lots of info on the issues o...oxic-hazards-in-aftermath-of-deadly-wildfires

 

[DeDee]

Appx 30 min ago...

Lāhainā Bypass Road reopens in West Maui​

 

[dotr]

''By Bernd Debusmann Jr

Hawaii wildfires: The painstaking work to identify the dead

"It's not just ash on your clothing when you take it off," says a police chief. "It's our loved ones."

www.bbc.com

Nearly a week after a devastating wildfire swept across Maui, the true death toll remains unclear.
Families of around 1,300 missing people are waiting anxiously as cadaver dogs scour the blackened disaster zone.
The confirmed death toll of 101 people is expected to rise steadily. Hawaii's Governor Josh Green said on Monday that it could take as long as 10 days to reach an accurate figure, and investigators could find "10 to 20 people per day probably until they finish".
As of 15 August, only three of the dead had been positively identified, according to Adam Weintraub, the communications director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
Victim identification specialists told the BBC that putting names to the rest of those who perished in Maui could take months or even years.
Both finding and identifying victims will be arduous given the magnitude of the destruction - which emergency workers have described as "extremely hazardous" - and the condition that many of the remains are likely to be found in.''

'Aug 16, 2023 #nbcnews #hawaii #mauiwildfires
After experiencing loss in the Maui wildfires, Ryan Hickey and Monica Gussow created a website to connect people impacted with assistance and resources. '

 

[Gemmie]

What happens to all the debris?
How to safely dispose of all the debris as the community is cleaned up and recovers is another question.

After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, where about 1,200 structures were destroyed, the cleanup generated 300,000 tons of waste. In Maui, debris may have to be taken off the island for disposal.

Cleanup and recovery from a disaster of this magnitude takes years. In the process, I recommend residents reach out to public health departments for advice to help them stay healthy and safe.

Also from the article:

Even buildings deemed structurally safe may have pollutants that make them unsafe for human health.

http://Lots of info on the issues o...oxic-hazards-in-aftermath-of-deadly-wildfires

Sorry for the nails on chalkboard by Quoting my own post. I'm trying to fix the wonky link in my post as it has some great info. it just isn't working in my orig post. Apologies!

Here is a working link about what may happen to all the debris: Maui residents face lingering toxic hazards in aftermath of deadly wildfires

 

[10ofRods]

The islands face difficulties that are magnitudes above what mainland states face after fires. It's hard enough to find disposal sites for toxic waste in a big state like Texas or California. Hawaii has neither building supply manufacture (virtually everything is imported) and no easy way to get rid of waste. Toxic waste (with asbestos and benzene contamination, just for starters) is so hard to handle.

I was surprised to see tourists at Black Rock (via youtube videos posted by locals) yesterday. The water has likely got invisible contaminants (like benzene). Benzene floats and is stabilized on the surface of a body of water. Eventually, it will evaporate into the air (it's not a good compound to breathe, either). Meantime, these people are swimming in it?

It's so hard to picture how this situation is going to be quickly repaired and I hope Maui can find other sources of income than tourism for the time it takes to replace Lahaina. Lahaina's tourism was already declining, since COVID, but everyone was hopeful that it would work its way back up - the loss of the art and the art galleries is, by itself, devastating.

But right now, it's finding the still-missing and bringing closure to the families that is top priority, followed by finding ways for people to house themselves and continue ordinary life activities (like work and school).

IMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The army corps of engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency have already begun missions working to clear roads, remove smaller, more-obvious hazards, like propane tanks, and assess the scale of the job ahead. Now in the scoping phase,

“It is going to be a slow process for Lahaina to be cleaned up and rebuilt,” Whelton said, adding that there was still a significant issue associated with water contamination that will need to be addressed. Still, despite the immense challenges that remain, Whelton has hope for Hawaii. “I have seen community after community recover from this scale of disaster,” he said. The process will take time, but agencies more equipped to build back after each devastating wildfire. “We have learned a lot before to help Maui now.”

Charred debris, toxic water, remote towns: Lahaina’s recovery will be a ‘slow process’

Roughly 2,700 buildings were destroyed and at least 101 people lost their lives in the devastating fires that swept through Maui

www.theguardian.com

 

[Herat]

Some surprising things:

1. 60 people were found safe, staying in a home and garden of a friends house outside the fire zone. They had no power, internet, or phones and couldn't contact anyone without crossing the fire zone. Amazing good news that 60 people will be taken off the missing list.

2. A photograph from a Lahaina woman's photo album was found charred on the eastern shore of the closest island, Lanai. It was of her and her great-grandmother at her high school graduation The Philippines before she moved to Maui 18 years ago. She escaped the fire with her partner, their two 6 year-old twin daughters, and 10 month old baby and her mother, but she was clad only in her underwear without shoes. The photo was found 12 miles across the ocean on the shore of Lanai.

 

[Gemmie]

Some surprising things:

1. 60 people were found safe, staying in a home and garden of a friends house outside the fire zone. They had no power, internet, or phones and couldn't contact anyone without crossing the fire zone. Amazing good news that 60 people will be taken off the missing list.

2. A photograph from a Lahaina woman's photo album was found charred on the eastern shore of the closest island, Lanai. It was of her and her great-grandmother at her high school graduation The Philippines before she moved to Maui 18 years ago. She escaped the fire with her partner, their two 6 year-old twin daughters, and 10 month old baby and her mother, but she was clad only in her underwear without shoes. The photo was found 12 miles across the ocean on the shore of Lanai.

Would love a link to be able to see the pictures (and/or entire article) you describe.

 

[whitelilac]

Would love a link to be able to see the pictures (and/or entire article) you describe.

I think this might be it. photo

 

[mickey2942]

The saddest part about this, is that older mobile home parks, homes for elderly, low income, are wiped out. Developers are probably already making deals.

I saw this in Florida, years ago, when Hurricane Wilma wiped out older mobile home parks, making elderly people homeless. They didn't have lawyers to fight for them, they just took a paltry settlement from insurance companies, and ended up in nursing homes, with family, or subsidized apartments.

Maui had many areas that were dilapidated, in the interior, many owned by indigienous people, elderly. Gone. Those are the areas that had older electrical lines, rather than the underground lines in newer developments. The real question, is, if those people were paying electric bills, they were paying for infrastructure. That supported newer developments.

 

[Gemmie]

The saddest part about this, is that older mobile home parks, homes for elderly, low income, are wiped out. Developers are probably already making deals.

I saw this in Florida, years ago, when Hurricane Wilma wiped out older mobile home parks, making elderly people homeless. They didn't have lawyers to fight for them, they just took a paltry settlement from insurance companies, and ended up in nursing homes, with family, or subsidized apartments.

Maui had many areas that were dilapidated, in the interior, many owned by indigienous people, elderly. Gone. Those are the areas that had older electrical lines, rather than the underground lines in newer developments. The real question, is, if those people were paying electric bills, they were paying for infrastructure. That supported newer developments.

Local gov is trying to prevent "land grabbing". I hope it works out.

Hawaii governor warns developers against predatory land buying in devastated Lahaina​

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the state government is considering acquiring land devastated by wildfires “to protect it for our local people so it’s not stolen by people on the mainland.”

Hawaii governor warns developers against predatory land buying in devastated Lahaina

Gov. Josh Green said Hawaii is considering acquiring land in Lahaina "to protect it for our local people so it's not stolen by people on the mainland" U.S.

www.cnbc.com

and....

As Maui residents begin a long mourning and recovery process following deadly fires that have ravaged their neighborhoods, local officials say outsiders are attempting to take advantage of the tragedy by attempting to purchase damaged home sites from locals who have lost everything.

Officials expressed concern that residents are being approached about selling residential sites "by people posing as real estate agents who may have ill intent."

Maui residents targeted in scams to grab land after tragedy, officials say

Maui officials are warning that residents could be targeted in scams aimed at grabbing land on the Hawaiian Island.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Gemmie]

I am having so many conflicting emotions about this.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/16/us/maui-wildfire-mourning/index.html

 

[Herat]

I think this might be it. photo

Yes, that's the photo.

Sorry, I persistently fail to add links.

 

[Herat]

Local gov is trying to prevent "land grabbing". I hope it works out.

Hawaii governor warns developers against predatory land buying in devastated Lahaina​

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the state government is considering acquiring land devastated by wildfires “to protect it for our local people so it’s not stolen by people on the mainland.”

Hawaii governor warns developers against predatory land buying in devastated Lahaina

Gov. Josh Green said Hawaii is considering acquiring land in Lahaina "to protect it for our local people so it's not stolen by people on the mainland" U.S.

www.cnbc.com

and....

As Maui residents begin a long mourning and recovery process following deadly fires that have ravaged their neighborhoods, local officials say outsiders are attempting to take advantage of the tragedy by attempting to purchase damaged home sites from locals who have lost everything.

Officials expressed concern that residents are being approached about selling residential sites "by people posing as real estate agents who may have ill intent."

Maui residents targeted in scams to grab land after tragedy, officials say

Maui officials are warning that residents could be targeted in scams aimed at grabbing land on the Hawaiian Island.

abcnews.go.com

I think the Governor has a point.

 

[airportwoman]

Some surprising things:

1. 60 people were found safe, staying in a home and garden of a friends house outside the fire zone. They had no power, internet, or phones and couldn't contact anyone without crossing the fire zone. Amazing good news that 60 people will be taken off the missing list.

2. A photograph from a Lahaina woman's photo album was found charred on the eastern shore of the closest island, Lanai. It was of her and her great-grandmother at her high school graduation The Philippines before she moved to Maui 18 years ago. She escaped the fire with her partner, their two 6 year-old twin daughters, and 10 month old baby and her mother, but she was clad only in her underwear without shoes. The photo was found 12 miles across the ocean on the shore of Lanai.

After Hurricane Katrina, some people set up a website that displayed photographs that people found in the wreckage. They were able to reunite thousands of photographs with their rightful owners.