MAUI, Hawaii — Maui County on Thursday night released the names of almost 400 people who remain officially unaccounted for, two weeks after devastating wildfires swept through the island.
The 388 names were compiled by the FBI and deemed validated with first and last names, county officials said.
“We’re releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation,” Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement. “We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the 388 newly released names to call the FBI at (808) 566-4300 or email HN-COMMAND-POST@ic.fbi.gov.
As of late Thursday, another 1,732 individuals who had originally been reported as unaccounted for had since been found safe and well, county officials said.
A wind-whipped wildfire Aug. 8 devastated the town of Lahaina in West Maui. Other fires also erupted on the island.
At least 115 people have been confirmed dead in the wildfires, the deadliest in modern U.S. history.
Authorities previously asked family members to provide DNA to help identify bodies and reassured them that the information will not be kept or used for any other purpose.
Maui County on Thursday sued Hawaiian Electric Co., alleging its failure to shut off power despite repeated warnings of the potential for devastating fires ignited the wind-swept flames that destroyed Lahaina this month.
The county is seeking damages and “just compensation” against Hawaiian Electric and three related companies, accusing them of negligence, according to the suit filed in the state’s Second Circuit Court.
The utility faces at least 11 other lawsuits in relation to the fires, some of them from Lahaina residents, as well as one from investors who accused it of fraud in a federal lawsuit alleging it failed to disclose that its wildfire prevention and safety measures were substandard.
In a statement Thursday, Hawaiian Electric said its focus in the aftermath of the fires has been to support the people of Maui and Maui County.
“We are very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding,” it said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency told NBC News on Friday it does not have a timeline for when “hazardous waste removal efforts” will begin in Lahaina, noting only the process will begin after urban search and rescue crews allow it to enter the area.