In Hawaii, the death toll from the Maui wildfire has reached 96 and continues to rise, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in 100 years. Family resource centers have been set up to help survivors desperately trying to locate their missing loved ones. This is a Maui resident who said this weekend nine of his relatives were missing.
June Lacuesta: “I cannot describe my feeling right now, so it’s all — I could feel it underneath me. So, when I see the Lahaina — Lahaina Town itself, I cannot describe how — how hard feelings I get.”
The blaze decimated the historic town of Lahaina, as it spread at a rate of “one mile every minute,” propelled by wind gusts from Hurricane Dora of up to 81 miles per hour. A lawsuit filed against Hawaiian Electric Industries alleges electrified power lines blown over by the high winds helped the wildfire spread at such rapid pace, and that the company should have “deenergized” their power lines after a high wind alert. We’ll have more on Hawaii, and the climate crisis, after headlines.