Death toll rises to 89 in Hawaii, making it the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history 

The devastation resulting from a complex of fires on Maui that started Tuesday represents the deadliest U.S. fire in recent years, U.S. Fire Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell said.

"This fire now has become the deadliest in the last 10 years," she announced at a Saturday news conference convened by Gov. Josh Green.

The Maui complex of fires also represent the deadliest U.S. fire in the last 100 years. California's Camp Fire in 2018, which killed 85, previously held that title.

Officials waned that the death troll would continue to climb as search and recovery teams planned to cover more ground in upcoming days.

Gov. Josh Green said Saturday that strong winds in Hawaii midweek may have made the fires on Maui unstoppable.

As questions grow regarding state and local officials' initial responses to the nascent blazes Tuesday, the governor pointed to a culprit hard to tame in any circumstance: Trade winds boosted by a high pressure system.

"The largest force in play that night were 80 mph winds," Green said during a news conference on the fires and their aftermath. "Fortunately, now those winds have passed."

The National Weather Service published a summary of peak wind gusts in Hawaii for Monday through Wednesday. The strongest wind recorded in Maui during that span was a 67 mph gust on Wednesday. The most powerful wind on the Big Island was a gust of 82 mph recorded Tuesday.

Green suggested that the winds' sudden and insurmountable force would have whipped hungry flames through West Maui regardless of the human reaction.

"Having seen that storm," Green said, "we have doubts that much could have been done with a fast-moving fire like that."

Chief John Pelletier of the Maui Police Department on Saturday braced the public for more devastation in West Maui because the search, recovery, and identification process remains in its earliest stage.

He said during Saturday's news conference no identities for the deceased have been completed in a process that can include rapid DNA testing, dental record comparisons, and informing family members.

"Every one of these 89 are John and Jane Does," the chief said.

The death toll will increase, Pelletier said, and it's unclear where it will end up.

"None of us really knows the size of it yet," Pelletier said. "You want it fast, or you want it right? We’re going to do it right."

He said only 3% of an area of Maui that is under search and recovery plans has been covered. "We're going as fast as we can," Pelletier said.

The chief noted that the heat and humidity of Maui were most likely slowing down search and rescue dogs deployed for the mission. "We can only go as fast as the animal can go," he said.

Pelletier cited island cultural principles and said search, recovery and identification would be done in the spirit of aloha and respect.

With 89 confirmed deaths in the Maui wildfires, which were swept by extreme winds into the town of Lahaina, the disaster officially becomes deadlier than California’s Camp Fire in 2018, which killed 85.

That notorious California fire was also swept by high winds into the small mountain communities of Concow, Paradise and Magalia in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Paradise and Concow were almost destroyed.

Until Saturday the fire had been the deadliest in American history in the last 100 years, officials have said.

The Camp Fire ignited on Nov. 8, 2018, and had “extreme rates of spread” due to dry conditions and high winds, state fire investigators have said.

It began in Pulga, and a second point of ignition was vegetation that went into power lines, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in 2019. It was ignited by a fault electric transmission line and winds drove it into the communities, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has said. Pacific Gas & Electric later pleaded guilty to 84 manslaughter counts.

In announcing the death toll in Maui's devastating fires has risen from 80 to 89 in the span of a day, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said on Saturday that the number would continue to rise.

"There are 89 fatalities that have been measured," he said at a news conference. "It’s going to continue to rise. We want to brace people for that."

Search and recovery crews were continuing to comb through fire-scorched communities, including historic Lahaina town in West Maui, where the worst of the fires struck swiftly after the blazes began Tuesday.

The death toll in fires that have ravaged Maui since Tuesday increased to 89, Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii said Saturday.

Speaking at an evening news conference, Green said, "It’s going to continue to rise. We want to brace people for that."

The previous death toll of 80 confirmed deaths was announced early Saturday with the caveat that search and recovery operations were likely to turn up more remains in fire-scorched communities in West Maui.

As the death toll from the fires on Maui rises, it’s unclear how morgues will be able to accommodate the number of victims considering there are just one hospital and three mortuaries. The number of deaths has risen to 80, according to a statement by Maui County on Friday. Beyond the confirmed deaths in Maui, hundreds of other people remain unaccounted for.

In response to the anticipated need for emergency housing due to the wildfires Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi directed the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) to suspend the short-term vacation rental 30–day minimum rental period requirement to increase the availability of temporary housing on Oʻahu.

“In the spirit of wanting to do everything possible to help with this devastating and heartbreaking tragedy, we are suspending the 30-day requirement for short-term vacation rentals to help provide housing on Oʻahu for those most in need,” said Blangiardi. “We hope that this will provide some relief for any of our displaced neighbors who are in need of a safe place to stay during these trying times.”

Some fear the number of people missing in the Maui fires could be as high as 1,000. One Maui resident hopes her grandmother has escaped as she struggles to reach her.

"We don’t know where she is," the woman told NBC's "Nightly News."

When asked what she would want to say to her grandmother, the woman said: "I would tell her ‘we’re looking for her. Grandma, we’re looking for you. If you can reach a phone, call us, let us know where you're at.'"

So many others are also desperate for contact with their missing loved ones.

"What goes through my mind is do I just go over there and find my dad because no one else is," another woman said, getting emotional. "If he did get evacuated, where did he get evacuated to? There's no information regarding that."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center estimate that 51,700 square feet of shelter will be needed for 4,500 people as a result fires on Maui.

3,560 gallons of clean water are also estimated to be required, as well as 9,000 ready to eat meals per day of displacement.

Norwegian Cruise Line is donating $50,000 to help with the fires in Maui, the company said Saturday.

"We are deeply saddened to hear about the wildfires currently impacting the town of Lahaina in Maui. We have a very special relationship with the people and islands of Hawaii, as we sail to the beautiful state year-round," the cruise liner said. "It is a magical destination and one that is highly sought out by our guests for its natural beauty, culture and unparalleled experiences."

Cruises with stops in Maui will be redirected to Hilo with an additional overnight stay in Nawiliwili, Kauai for itineraries beginning Aug. 12, 2023, through the end of the month.

Norwegian has also dedicated a team aboard its ship Pride of America to begin collecting items including clothing, diapers and towels. The donations will be given to the Hawaii Community Foundation.

On Friday, Metallica's nonprofit All Within My Hands also donated $200,000 to the foundation.

"With strong ties to the Hawaiian Islands, the All Within My Hands board voted swiftly to approve a $200,000 grant for the Maui Strong Fund established through the Hawai’i Community Foundation (HCF)," a news release states.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday it had deployed more than 150 personnel, including search and rescue teams, with more on the way. Today, Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are in Maui to help residents register for assistance and address any critical needs in the affected neighborhoods.

The organization said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was in Hawaii today with U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell and Administrator Isabella Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration to meet with Gov. Josh Green and other officials to assess the damage.

Scattered showers and up to 39 mph winds are forecast this week in Lahaina, according to the National Weather Service field office in Honolulu.

This weekend, isolated showers are expected along with up to 21 mph winds. The rain will continue into next week along with temperatures ranging from 63 to 73 degrees.

Wind gusts will pick up gradually throughout the week and peak on Tuesday at 39 mph, the National Weather Service said.

Thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Lahaina fire burning in Maui County, officials said.

Damage assessments show that as of Friday, 2,719 structures have been exposed with 86% classified as residential buildings, according to the Pacific Disaster Center. Just over 2,200 structures were either demolished or mangled.

More than 2,000 acres have burned in the fire, the agency said.

King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, extended their condolences to the Lahaina fire victims in a message to President Joe Biden.

"We can only begin to imagine the scale of the devastation engulfing the island, and the heartrending anguish of those whose livelihoods have been so disastrously affected," he wrote.

"However inadequate it may be," he continued, "we both wanted to send our deepest possible sympathy to the families of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and our prayers remain with all those whose loved ones are missing and whose homes have been destroyed."

Police have shut down access to Lahaina at the Maalaea checkpoint. The checkpoint was open for approximately 90 minutes before the closure as some drivers spent more than 15 hours in line waiting, since Friday, to get in to Lahaina today.

Police told NBC news there was now too much traffic backed up on the road and conditions were dangerous. Frustrated drivers said police were now directing them to travel to Lahaina via the "back way," around the northern tip of the island. Drivers said the northern route narrows to just one lane in spots.

The aloha spirit has been a source of comfort for many locals, including Tiffany Winn, who lost her business in Lahaina.

"The nice thing about Lahaina, it's such a sense of family. Everybody watches out for each other," Winn told NBC's Dana Griffin. "And when tragedies happen, everybody bans together."

Winn lost her gift shop, one of the oldest on Front Street, in the fire. "It’s essentially gone now, just like all the other buildings around it," she said.

Winn said she was on her way to the store but was having difficulty getting there because of road closures from brush fires. She said the wind was so strong that it was knocking shingles off the houses.

As a precaution, she called her employee and told her to close the shop.

"We’re really fortunate in our timing to get out when we did," Winn said, noting that there wasn't a warning about the massive fire. "There were warnings of brush fires but nothing that would have given anybody a clue that it would have been this significant."

"I just think it happened so fast, like a firestorm," she added.

Alex Lee and his family were visiting Maui from North Carolina when they saw "dark smoke" and then a "puff" that got bigger and bigger, he told NBC's Tom Llamas.

They decided to evacuate as a precaution and camp out at the Maui airport until they could catch a flight home. "It's been rough, a rough couple of days," Lee said, sitting next to a makeshift bed on the floor.

Others vacating in Hawaii have been forced to do the same. Two families who were vacationing together had been at the airport for more than 30 hours. "It's very sad," one of the women said of the destruction the fire left behind.

Maui County announced that because of the new fire at Pu’ukoli’i on the evening of Aug. 12, the county could not open a fuel distribution center at the Pu’ukoli’i site Aug. 13.

The county purchased gasoline and diesel from Maui Oil and arranged distribution via tanker at Pu’ukoli’i on Thursday and Friday for those affected by the Lahaina fires.

The Pu’ukoli’i fire was contained Friday night, but the main Lahaina fire remains active.

Maui Police shut down the main road into Lahaina just before 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET). 

The Maui Police Department said the closure was “effective immediately,” according to a Facebook post. 

Law enforcement had begun to allow members of the public to bypass road blocks to check on property hours before this recent closure.

FEMA said Saturday afternoon that it was too early to estimate rebuilding costs in the wake of the Lahaina wildfires.

"FEMA has not estimated any costs, as they are still in the active response and recovery phases," an agency spokesperson told NBC News.

Earlier in the day, Maui County had posted a graphic on Facebook citing the Pacific Disaster Center and Federal Emergency Management Agency and a figure of an estimated $5.52 billion.

FEMA noted that that figure was listed as “capital exposed,” which, FEMA said, is not a measure of rebuilding costs.

A total of 4,522 utility customers still do not have power in Hawaii as of Saturday morning, according to Poweroutage.us.

It's not clear how many of these customers live in Lahaina.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will conduct a "comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies" leading up to, during and after the wildfires, she said in a statement Friday.

Lopez said her office “shares the grief” felt by all on Hawaii and her department was “committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review.”

“As we continue to support all aspects of the ongoing relief effort, now is the time to begin this process of understanding,” she said.

A fire that caused an evacuation in Kaanapali has been extinguished, Hawaii’s Department of Transport said on Twitter.

The fire erupted in an area where a county fueling station was set up to distribute about 3,000 gallons of gasoline and 500 gallons of diesel fuel for about 400 waiting vehicles, the department said.

It added that fuel would not be distributed on Saturday.

The inhalation of dust and other airborne particles unleashed by the "highly toxic" burning areas could be a health hazard, Maui County officials warned.

As a result barricades remained in place around Lahaina town, Maui County officials said in a statement, adding that police officers had been marshaling people away from unsafe areas.

Search and rescue teams with expertise in finding human remains have been deployed to Hawaii from Arizona and Nevada, Maui County said in an update Friday.

Five dogs have also been deployed to help, the update said.

Harmful contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic chemicals, may have entered the Lahaina water system, Maui County officials warned.

As a result, residents should not drink tap water or use it for cooking, even if it is boiled, the officials said in a statement adding that some water structures had been destroyed in the fire.

“Bottled water should be used for all drinking (including baby formula and juice), brushing teeth, and making ice and food preparation until further notice,” the statement said.

The number of fatalities has risen to 80, Maui County officials said in a statement late Friday, but Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has warned that the number of dead will likely continue to rise.

Evacuations were ordered in the western Maui community of Kaanapali today after a fire, Maui County Police said.

Kaanapali is north of Lahaina, the town devastated by a wildfire this week, and according to U.S. census data, it has a population of around 1,100.

Maui County police said there were no restrictions for people leaving the west side of Maui. Earlier officers had restricted traffic after people went around barricades, the department said.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety of the community and first responders. We will allow entrance once it is safe to do so,” said the department.

As Hawaii continues its effort to contain wildfires across the Big Island and Maui, and a climbing death toll leaves residents shell-shocked, scientists across the United States have begun to take stock of the plants and animals that have been lost to the flames. 

Though Hawaii makes up less than 1% of U.S. land, it contains 44% of the country’s endangered and threatened plant life. While some native plants can gradually recover from wildfires of this scale, others will likely be scorched beyond regrowth, experts said. No clear data is available yet on exactly what has been lost, but scientists fear the toll is significant. 

Read the full story here.

The deadly Maui wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to calculations by Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.