Deadly Wildfire in Maui Leaves Historic Town in Ruins
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll from a devastating wildfire that swept through a historic town in Maui has risen to 93, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century. Authorities have warned that the effort to find and identify the dead is still in its early stages.
Crews with cadaver dogs have covered just 3% of the search area, according to Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. The search area spans at least 5 square miles and is filled with the remains of loved ones. Pelletier stated that the number of dead is likely to increase, and the true size of the tragedy is still unknown.
Federal emergency workers have been combing through the ashen moonscape left by the fire that razed the centuries-old town of Lahaina. Teams have been marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange “X” to indicate an initial search, and “HR” when human remains are found.
Identifying the dead has proven to be a challenging task due to the condition of the remains. Pelletier explained that the remains have been through a fire that melted metal, making it difficult to identify them. So far, only two people have been identified.
The search efforts have been accompanied by the barks of cadaver dogs, alert
How are cadaver dogs assisting in the search and identification process in the aftermath of the devastating wildfire in Maui?
Rewritten Article:
A historic town in Maui has been devastated by a deadly wildfire, with the death toll now at 93. This makes it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century. The search and identification process for the victims is still in its early stages, and authorities have warned that the number of dead is likely to increase.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier has reported that crews with cadaver dogs have only covered 3% of the search area. The search area is extensive, spanning at least 5 square miles and filled with the remains of loved ones. Pelletier explains that the true extent of the tragedy is still unknown.
Federal emergency workers have been diligently searching through the ash-covered landscape left behind by the fire that destroyed the centuries-old town of Lahaina. Teams have been marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange “X” to indicate an initial search, and “HR” when human remains are discovered.
Identifying the deceased has proven to be extremely challenging due to the condition of the remains. Pelletier explains that the intense heat of the fire melted metal, making it difficult to identify the bodies. So far, only two individuals have been positively identified.
Throughout the search efforts, cadaver dogs have been diligently barking, alerted by their strong sense of smell.
