LATEST: 53 fatalities confirmed amid Lahaina fire

THURSDAY. THE 10TH OF AUGUST, AT LEAST 53 PEOPLE DEAD. THOUSANDS DISPLACED AND SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS WITH HUNDREDS OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS DESTROYED AND DAMAGE LIKELY IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. OFFICIALS SAY AS FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS CONTINUE 17 ADDITIONAL FATALITIES WERE CONFIRMED TODAY BRINGING THE OFFICIAL DEATH TOLL TO 53 A NUMBER THAT IS EXPECTED sTO RISE. THE 4 WILDFIRES ON MAUI ARE REPORTED TO BE 80% CONTAINED AND MORE THAN 12,000 RESIDENe,TS ON THE VALLEY. ISLE ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. AND OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RE STILL SEARCHING FOR VICTIMS AND ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO BE PATIENT AND RESPECTFUL. BRIGETTE NAMATA HAS THLATEST FROM MAUI. >> I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PRESS CONFERENCE THAT JUST ENDED MOMENTARILY WAS WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID. GOVERNOR GREEN. HE MENTIONED THAT THIS IS THE LARGEST NATURAL DISASTER IN HAWAII STATE HISTORY. HE SAID WE'RE SEEING LOSS OF LIFE. HE SAYS THAT TO EXPECT THE DEATH TOLL TO CONTINUE TO CLIMB. AND THAT IS TRULY A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, OF myCOURSE, HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. THE STATESAYS IT IS THEIR INTENT TO SEEK OUT 2000 ROOMS FOR THESE DISPLACED RESIDENTS. WHAT HE MEANS BY THAT, WHAT GOVERNOR GREEN MEANS THAT BY THAT IS THAT HE'S GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO HOTELS. HE'S GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO FOLKS WITH EXTRA ROOMS, ANYONE THAT CAN PROVIDE THE THEY DO PLAN ON CREATING A PROGRAM TO HELP OUT THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. WE HAVE BEEN TO A FEW SHELTERS HERE. SO MANY OF THEM ON MAUI ARE JUST INUNDATED AND FULL WITH RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. THEY LOST EVERYTHING, ALL THEIR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS, THEIR HOMES BURNED TO THE GROUND. IN FACT, SOME OF SHELTERS ARE SO FULL THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE RESORTED TO SLEEPING OUTSIDE ON THE GRASS OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NO SPACE INSIDE THE FACILITY ANYMORE. AND THE MAUI MAYOR, MAUI MAYOR RICHARD BISSEN. HE SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO TRY THEIR VERY BEST TO IDENTIFY THOSE THAT PERISHED SO FAMILIES CAN HAVE CLOSURE. >> DO YOU SEE THE DEVASTATION THAT WE ALL MAYBE THROUGH 40, THAT'S BEFORE THIS MORNING. BUT PERSON TODAY, IT'S DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE, BUT THERE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WILL MEAN A LOT OF HELP. AND OUR GOAL HAS GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE THAT THE PEOPLE JUST AS SOON AS WE CAN TRY TO PROVIDE THE CERTAINTY THAT WE HAVE RECOVERED, THOSE THAT HAVE PERISHED. THAT'S REALLY OUR GOAL RIGHT WE'RE HOPING TO FIND PEOPLE LOT OF TIME HAS PASSED SINCE THE INCIDENT. SO WE STILL FACE AND NOW THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED THAT DISASTER DECLARATION, THAT MEANS FEDERAL MONEY HAS BEEN FREED UP. >> FEMA HAS STEPPED THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR FEMA HAD MENTIOY.NED THAT THERE ARE CADAVER DOGS THAT THEY'RE FLYING IN FROM WASHINGTON STATE AND CALIFORNIA TO HELP ASSIST MAUI FIREFIGHTERS IN THE SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS OVER IN LA HINA. THEY ALSO MENTION INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THESE ARE FOR SURVIVORS FOR THOSE WHO ST EVERYTHING IN THE FIRE. THERE IS A WEB SITE. IT'S DISASTER ASSISTANCE, drDOT, GOV. REPORTING ON MAUI. I'M

Channel: KHON2 News

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Keywords: khon, working for hawaii, hawaii news, hawaii, hawaii sports, maui news, kauai news, molokai, lanai, big island, aloha news, aloha state

Id: Db9wHI5bL9U

Length: 3min 19sec (199 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 11 2023