(MARQUETTE, Mich.) — Two men accused of running an illegal sextortion ring have been extradited to the United States, authorities in Michigan announced on Sunday.
Samuel and Samson Ogoshi of Lagos, Nigeria arrived in the U.S. on Sunday and will appear Monday in federal court.
Sexual extortion or “sextortion,” is a form of blackmail in which scammers pretend to be someone online, coerce a victim to send nude or explicit photos of themselves and then attempt get the victim to pay money in order for the photos not to be released, according to the FBI.
Prosecutors alleged in court documents filed in May that Samuel and Samson preyed on young men, including 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, who died by suicide after the men threatened to post explicit photos he sent them on the internet.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20 and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, 19, all of Lagos, Nigeria, allegedly posed as a girl on Instagram and interacted with “hundreds” of victims, including DeMay, according to Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
DeMay, from Marquette, Michigan, died by suicide after three Nigerian men pretended to be a female online and coerced DeMay to send a nude photo of himself. When he did, the three men allegedly demanded $1,000 from him. DeMay told the men he was going to kill himself because of what he was being put through. The men allegedly responded with “good” and “enjoy your miserable life.” DeMay then killed himself with a firearm, according to Totten.
“Jordan’s smile could light up any room,” his mother, Jennifer Buda told reporters at a press conference with federal law enforcement officials in May. “Jordan’s charm and beautiful smile were contagious. drawing people to him wherever he went and leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met,” she said.
Over the past year, law enforcement agencies have received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, according to the FBI. More than a dozen sextortion victims were reported to have died by suicide.
“Sextortion is a horrible crime,” said Totten. “To those who commit these crimes: we will pursue you around the world. And to those who are victims: please know we stand ready to help you.”
At a press conference on Sunday, Totten credited the partnership of the FBI and Nigerian officials for bringing the men to justice.
“I am extremely pleased with how swiftly extradition efforts moved forward and am grateful to the FBI and our Nigerian law enforcement partners for their unyielding work to secure justice in this international sexual exploitation investigation,” he added.
At this time, court records have not listed a lawyer for Samuel and Samson Ogoshi.
(PLUM, Pa.) — Search and rescue crews have recovered five bodies from the rubble of an apparent house explosion in Pennsylvania, according to officials.
Several homes were destroyed when the explosion occurred Saturday morning in Allegheny County, officials told reporters during a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased victims include four adults and one adolescent, all of whom were recovered from the debris, officials said.
Three people were also injured in the incident and transported to local hospitals, according to officials. Two have been released and one remained in critical condition on Sunday.
During the initial response, 57 firefighters were treated on the scene for “minor issues” and all returned to duty that day, officials said.
It is unclear what caused the explosion, and the investigation is expected to be “slow and long,” officials said. A representative from the gas company said pressure and smell checks done in the area indicate that the “system was operating as designed” at the time of the explosion.
Police received a 911 call reporting a house explosion and house fire at approximately 10:22 a.m., Allegheny County officials said.
One house appears to have exploded, with two others becoming engulfed in flames, according to Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs.
Three structures have been destroyed and at least a dozen more are damaged, including with windows blown out. Debris was scattered over lawns and the street in the area.
First responders found people trapped under debris, Downs said. Recovery operations were halted on Saturday afternoon due to severe weather in the region.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Steve Imbarlina, the assistant chief for Allegheny County emergency services, said. Police are investigating the incident, he said.
The incident occurred in the borough of Plum, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Video captured at the scene showed several homes on fire in the community of Rustic Ridge.
The borough of Plum urged people to stay away from Rustic Ridge in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
Crews were working on extinguishing nearby structures and securing gas lines, Downs said.
Eighteen fire departments responded to the scene, which remains active. Allegheny County Emergency Management officials and the Allegheny County Fire Marshals are at the scene as well.
A woman filming a game at the municipal baseball fields shortly after 10:20 a.m. captured the boom of the explosion, a little under a mile away, according to footage she posted on Facebook.
Plum is located about 18 miles east of Pittsburgh.
ABC News’ Victoria Beaule, Peter Charalambous, Matt Foster and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.
(ATLANTA) — Two and a half years after launching an investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has signaled that charges could be coming against former President Donald Trump and others.
Willis is likely to present her case to the grand jury this week so the panel can weigh potential charges, sources familiar with the matter have told ABC News.
If Trump is indicted in the probe, it would mark the fourth indictment of the former president, who already faces federal charges in the special counsel’s Jan. 6 and classified documents probes, as well as the Manhattan district attorney’s hush money case. Prior to Trump, no former or current president had ever been indicted.
Last month, Willis empaneled a grand jury that could ultimately decide whether to approve charges in the case. In January, a previous special grand jury seated by Willis to probe allegations of election misconduct issued its final report, which found “by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election.”
That grand jury, which was only empowered to make recommendations concerning criminal prosecutions, sat for approximately eight months and heard testimony from around 75 witnesses. The publicly released portion of their report revealed no details about any recommendations, beyond recommending that prosecutors seek indictments against witnesses who they believed may have lied during their testimony.
Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020, previously told ABC News that “the mountain of evidence” that has been made public regarding the efforts to overturn the election in Georgia “points strongly toward a forecast that the report recommends Donald Trump and his conspirators for prosecution.”
“Like the weather forecast or rain, there’s no guarantee,” Eisen said, “but when you look outside your window and the rain clouds are dark … that’s where we are with all of these facts.”
Possible charges could include solicitations of election fraud, other forms of fraud, conspiracy, and possibly racketeering, Eisen said.
“The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences,” Willis said of the investigation in an interview with The Washington Post last year.
‘Find 11,780 votes’
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis officially launched the probe in February 2021, sparked in part by the now-infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump pleaded with Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” the exact number Trump needed to win Georgia.
Trump has repeatedly defended his call to Raffensperger, calling it “perfect.”
The special grand jury was seated in May 2022, after Willis wrote that the panel was needed because “a significant number of witnesses and prospective witnesses have refused to cooperate with the investigation absent a subpoena requiring their testimony.”
Since then, those who have been subpoenaed for testimony include some of Trump’s closest allies and supporters, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unsuccessfully fought his subpoena up to the United State Supreme Court.
Graham argued, among other things, that he was acting “within [his] official legislative responsibilities” as a senator and chairman of the Judiciary Committee when he allegedly made calls to Georgia officials following the 2020 election.
During calls to Raffensperger and others, Graham allegedly asked about “reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump,” the judge wrote in a filing in the case.
Willis also sought testimony from a number of Georgia’s highest elected officials, including Raffensperger, Gov. Brian Kemp and Rep. Jody Hice.
Targets of the probe
A number of individuals have also been informed that they are considered “targets” of the probe, including Giuliani. In the wake of the election, Giuliani appeared at a series of legislative hearings around the country — including Georgia — where he urged state legislators to reject the results of the election.
Responding to the notification of his status as a target of the probe, Giuliani said, “I appeared in Georgia as attorney for Donald J. Trump. So I’m going to be prosecuted for what I did as an attorney?”
Sixteen people identified as so-called “fake electors” in the state were also notified last summer that they were considered targets in the ongoing criminal investigation, prosecutors revealed in court documents.
The 16, who allegedly participated in a scheme to overturn the state’s election results, received letters “alerting that person both that [their] testimony was required by the special purpose grand jury and that [they were a] target of the investigation” said the filing from prosecutors, who were investigating the “creation of a document that identified [them] as being among the ‘duly elected and qualified Electors for president and Vice President of the United States of America from the State of Georgia,’ and the submission of that document to the National Archives.”
The House committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol described the “fake electors” plan, which appeared to have multiple iterations, as being set up by the Trump campaign in multiple swing states in which they sought to assemble “groups of individuals in key battleground states and got them to call themselves electors, created phony certificates associated with these fake electors and then transmitted these certificates to Washington, and to the Congress, to be counted during the joint session of Congress on January 6th,” according to the filing.
This past May, eight of the so called “fake electors” accepted immunity in the probe, according to their lawyer.
“After reviewing the actual, written offers of immunity, each of those eight electors accepted their immunity offer,” a filing by the attorney, Kimberly Debrow, said.
Setbacks for Willis
Willis suffered a setback last year when she unsuccessfully fought to have Pierson and her law partner disqualified from representing those 11, alleging that it was a “conflict of interest.”
Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney largely denied the request, only removing one of the electors as Pierson’s client, but keeping the rest.
Earlier, McBurney disqualified Willis from investigating one of the 16 alleged fake electors, Georgia state Sen. Burt Jones, after Willis held a fundraiser for Jones’ political opponent in the race for lieutenant governor. The judge called it “harmful” to the investigation and said the “optics are horrid.”
“An investigation of this significance, garnering the public attention it necessarily does and touching so many political nerves in our society, cannot be bordered by legitimate doubts about the District Attorney’s motives,” McBurney wrote.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in January 2023 and has been updated.
(ATLANTA) — Extreme heat is continuing to impact a large portion of U.S. residents.
The National Weather Service issued heat alerts for about one-third of Americans on Sunday, as temperatures continue to remain at dangerous triple digits for millions. More than 115 million Americans are under heat alerts across 16 states.
The heat index in the South is expected to reach 105 to 115 throughout nearly the entire region, while the Northwest will experience a surging heat wave as well due to a high-pressure system expanding into the region.
Daily records are possible in more than 30 places on Sunday, including Portland and Medford, Oregon; Dallas, Austin, Texas, and Houston; Shreveport, Louisiana, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; Albany, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia; and in Florida, Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando, forecasts show.
Sunday’s heat will be a continuation of the last several weeks of record-breaking temperatures.
Record daily high temperatures were recorded Saturday in New Orleans, at 100 degrees; Orlando, at 100 degrees; Naples, Florida, at 98 degrees; and San Antonio at 105 degrees, according to the NWS.
Temperatures have been especially scorching in Texas.
Austin, Texas, has reached 100 degrees or greater for 36 consecutive days in a row, while San Antonio has reached 105 degrees or more for a record seven days in a row.
Temperatures in Houston have climbed to 101 degrees or higher for a record 14 days in a row.
In the coming days, temperatures in the South will fluctuate slightly as a cold front sweeps through from the North, which will provide some relief. The cold front will lower some of the alerts in the area and bring conditions closer to normal for this time of year.
Elsewhere, temperatures are jumping into the 90s and 100s through the week ahead.
Toward the end of the month, the excessive heat from the South is expected to expand to the middle of the county, making the heat dome larger.
(NEW YORK) — Dangerous wildfires are spreading rapidly on Maui due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful trade winds being squeezed across Hawaii.
At least 55 people have died from the wildfires on Maui and much of the historic town of Lahaina has been “destroyed,” according to officials. A state of emergency has been declared for the whole island, while all nonessential travel to the popular vacation destination is being discouraged, officials said.
The Big Island of Hawaii has also been affected by wildfires.
The winds are being caused by a strong high pressure system to the north and a strong low pressure system — Hurricane Dora — well to the south.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 13, 4:50 AM EDT
Death toll climbs to 93, officials say
The death toll from the fires in Maui has increased to at least 93 people, county officials said late Saturday.
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio
Aug 13, 3:20 AM EDT
2 bodies identified with 3% of destroyed area searched
Two of the 89 bodies recovered from the burned-out area near Lahaina have been identified using DNA, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.
Search crews were using dogs on Saturday to look for remains in the wreckage, he said at an evening press conference in Kahului.
Only 3% of the destroyed area had so far been covered, he said. Twelve additional dogs were on the way to aid in the search.
He described the blaze as “a fire that melted metal,” saying it had been severe enough that each recovered body will have to be identified using DNA.
“Every one of these 89 are John and Jane Does,” he said.
He asked locals to get DNA tests at a nearby facility as a way to speed up the identification process.
“We need to identify your loved ones,” the chief said.
Aug 12, 10:55 PM EDT
Death toll rises to 89, public told to ‘brace’ for more: Governor
At least 89 people have died in the Maui fires, Gov. Josh Green said on Saturday during a live press conference.
“It’s going to continue to rise. We want to brace people for that,” Green continued.
With Maui’s wildfire death toll surpassing California’s 2018 Camp Fire, it’s now the deadliest U.S. wildfire in modern history.
Aug 12, 10:13 AM EDT
2,207 structures damaged or destroyed in Lahaina fire, with 2,170 acres burned: Officials
According to the Pacific Disaster Center, an estimated total of 2,719 structures were exposed to the Lahaina fire; 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed; and 2,170 acres burned.
Of the buildings exposed to the fire, 86% were classified as residential.
-ABC News’ Flor Tolentino
Aug 12, 3:51 AM EDT
Death toll climbs to 80 in Maui wildfires
At least 80 people have died in Maui as wildfires continue to flare up, officials said in an update.
Firefighters were working to contain three blazes in Lahaina, Upcountry Maui and near Pulehu and Kihei, official said at about 9 p.m. local time. A fire reported near Kaanapali was 100% contained.
Restrictions on vehicle traffic were in place throughout West Maui, but the road leading out of Lahaina was open, county officials said.
“The burned historic Lahaina town area remains barricaded, with people warned to stay out of the area due to hazards including toxic particles from smoldering areas,” the update said said. “Wearing a mask and gloves is advised.”
About 1,400 people were at emergency evacuation shelters, county officials said.
Aug 12, 3:48 AM EDT
Fire near Kaanapali 80% controlled, evacuations stopped
A fire near Maui’s Kaanapali area is now 80% controlled and evacuations have been stopped, the Maui Police Department said in an update.
-ABC News Flor Tolentino
Aug 12, 2:44 AM EDT
Evacuation underway in Kaanapali
Residents and tourists in Kaanapali were being evacuated Friday evening as fires continued in West Maui, law enforcement officials said.
“As of this posting, there is a fire in West Maui, residents in the Kaanapali are currently being evacuated,” the Maui Police Department said in a statement posted to social media.
Kaanapali, another area popular with tourists, is on the coast a few miles north of Lahaina.
-ABC News’ Amanda Morris
Aug 11, 11:40 PM EDT
Many cultural landmarks cherished by the people of the island have been damaged
One region particularly ravaged by the wildfires is the historic town of Lahaina, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1962.
It was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1820 to 1845 before Honolulu became the capital and before the kingdom was overthrown and Hawaii was annexed by the United States, according to the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.
This includes the historic Waiola Church, the first Christian church on Maui established in 1823, which can be seen in photos engulfed in the blaze.
Buried here are several Hawaiian monarchs, including “Queen Keopuolani, the highest royalty by virtue of bloodlines in all Hawaii,” the last king of Kauai King Kaumuali’i, High Chief Ulumaheihei Hoapili and more.
A more than 60-foot-tall, 150-year-old Indian banyan tree that become a beloved landmark in the city of Lahaina was also damaged in the blaze, pictures show.
The historic tree covers one-quarter of a mile and shades nearly two-thirds of an acre of land.
Other historic homes, museums, and cultural centers were caught in the blaze. Learn more here.
-ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca
Aug 11, 7:28 PM EDT
Death toll now 67, marking deadliest natural disaster since Hawaii’s statehood
The death toll due to the Maui fires has increased to 67, officials said.
Twelve additional fatalities have been confirmed as of 1 p.m. local time Friday, officials said, bringing the death toll to 67.
That officially makes this the largest death toll from a natural disaster since Hawaii’s statehood.
Previously, the deadliest natural disaster in the state occurred in 1960, when a tsunami killed 61 people.
The Lahaina fire is not yet contained, officials said.
Aug 11, 6:46 PM EDT
Maui fires declared a public health emergency
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency for Hawaii due to the wildfires.
The declaration “gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries,” the agency said.
“We will do all we can to assist Hawaii officials with responding to the health impacts of the wildfires,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
Aug 11, 6:45 PM EDT
Doctor in Maui describes treating patients injured by the fires
Dr. Art Chasen, trauma medical director at Maui Memorial Medical Center, described to ABC News what it’s been like treating patients who have been injured by the devastating wildfires.
He said Tuesday night was the first night he experienced a mass casualty event in the 12 years since he has worked at the hospital. Staff saw about 40 patients throughout the night, eight with life-threatening severe burns and the rest with minor burns, smoke inhalation injuries and other fire-related injuries.
Chasen described one patient, a fireman, who got seriously injured while trying to save people from a burning structure.
“He just kept going back until he ran out of oxygen,” Chasen said. “He ended up somehow taking off his mask and collapsing in the fire. His fellow firefighters went in and rescued him. He had severe burns on his legs at the scene.”
“He coded, his heart hard stopped and so he received CPR for three to five minutes…and they brought him back and he was in our ICU overnight.”
The fireman was transferred to Queen’s Medical Center in Oahu. In total, nine patients were transferred to Queen’s and Straub Medical Center, also in Oahu.
Maui Memorial has seen about 60 patients total as of Friday morning, and Chasen expects a second wave of injured patients now that roads are reopening, but insisted that the hospital is not overwhelmed or struggling to accommodate patients.
“We were not overwhelmed. We’ve never turned anybody away,” he said. “We have beds available. We have ICU space available. We’ve been seeing regular trauma patients throughout the time, like motorcycle accidents and things like that. So our hospital surged to meet the demand.”
-ABC News’ Mary Kekatos
Aug 11, 5:43 PM EDT
How the wildfires are affecting people’s physical and mental health
Impacts from the deadly Maui wildfires go beyond evacuations and damaged buildings. Experts say the fires are also affecting residents’ and tourists’ physical health and could have impacts on their mental health.
Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases, pollutants and particles that people can inhale, penetrating the lungs and even entering the bloodstream.
Research has also shown wildfires and the subsequent smoke can lead to increased rates of anxiety and depression and become worse among people who already have these conditions.
Read more about the possible health impacts here.
-ABC News’ Mary Kekatos
Aug 11, 5:28 PM EDT
Jeff Bezos and fiancée pledge $100 million to Maui
Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, have pledged $100 million to Maui, Sanchez announced on Instagram.
“Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui,” Sanchez said in the post, which Bezos also shared on his Instagram account. “We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated.”
She said they are creating a Maui Fund and dedicating $100 million “to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”
Aug 11, 3:53 PM EDT
People will be allowed in homes Friday, officials say
West Maui residents will be allowed into their homes Friday, officials said.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced during a radio update that they will be reopening parts of West Maui with proof of residency, and for visitors with proof of hotel reservation. Access to Lahaina will begin at noon local time, officials said.
There will be a daily curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., he said. During those hours there will be no unauthorized public access to Lahaina to protect residences and property, officials said.
“They will see destruction like they’ve not ever seen in their lives,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in an interview on local station KHON Friday.
“Do not go into any structure remotely effected by fires, we do not want to see any other casualties,” he added.
-ABC News’ Jennifer Watts and Alyssa Pone
Aug 11, 10:18 AM EDT
14,900 visitors left Maui on flights Thursday
As the wildfires continue to rage, 14,900 visitors left Maui on flights Thursday, according to Maui County.
Visitors wanting to leave Maui have been asked to book flights off the island. They can book flights to Honolulu, then continue on another flight to the Mainland.
Aug 11, 7:38 AM EDT
Lahaina looks like ‘a war zone,’ Maui County mayor says
Devastating wildfires on Maui have left its historic town of Lahaina looking like “a war zone,” according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.
He recently toured the damage with other local and state officials for the first time.
“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off,” Bissen told ABC News’ Eva Pilgrim in an interview Friday on Good Morning America.
“It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground,” he added. “Most structures no longer exist and for blocks and blocks of this.”
The mayor, who grew up on Maui, said he’s familiar with Lahaina. His mother worked at one of the local restaurants for 17 years.
“It doesn’t resemble anything that it looked like when I was growing up,” he said.
As the death toll from the wildfires continues to climb, authorities are bringing in cadaver dogs to search for more victims, according to the mayor.
“So we will be increasing our area that we can search,” Bissen said.
Nevertheless, the mayor remained hopeful that Maui “will rebuild.” President Joe Biden has signed an emergency declaration for the Hawaiian island, allowing access to federal assets and funds, which Bissen said they “intend” to use. There’s also been “an outpouring of so much donations and offers of help,” according to the mayor.
“There is so much support,” he said. “Right now, our focus is on fighting the fires, saving lives where we can or preventing further harm, of course property as well. We’ll get to the investigative stage when that’s appropriate.”
While Lahaina and the west side of Maui has been shut down amid the active wildfires, Bissen noted that the rest of the island remains open.
Aug 11, 3:54 AM EDT
Death toll climbs to 55 on Maui
At least 55 people have died as wildfires tear through the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials said.
Two more fatalities were confirmed on Thursday night amid the active Lahaina fire, bringing the death toll to 55, according to a press release from Maui County.
A total of 19 deaths were confirmed on Thursday and 36 were confirmed on Wednesday, according to Maui County.
Officials have repeatedly said that they expect the death toll to rise.
Aug 10, 10:51 PM EDT
Maui wildfires ‘likely the largest natural disaster in state’s history’: Governor
The wildfires that have devastated Maui are “likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s state history,” Gov. Josh Green said during a press briefing Thursday evening.
Green went on to call the wildfires “catastrophic” and said the state is seeking 2,000 hotel rooms to help the displaced people of Maui.
The governor said “we will continue” seeing loss of life. At least 53 people have died from the wildfires, officials said earlier in the day.
Green also called on residents to help, saying: “If you have additional space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from West Maui, please do.”
After surveying the damage earlier in the day, Green estimated it will take billions of dollars and many years to rebuild Lahaina, and he estimates well over 1,000 buildings were destroyed.
Officials still don’t know exactly how many people are missing, according to Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier.
Aug 10, 9:38 PM EDT
A community struggling to cope
As a funeral director at the Nakamura Mortuary in Wailuku, Carol Chaney is no stranger to dealing with death — but usually, it’s other people’s losses. Now, loss has hit home in an unimaginably painful way. She says she’s still in shock and can’t reach family members in Lahaina.
“We’re still trying to gather ourselves. It’s still very fresh. There’s still a lot to be done,” she told ABC News over the phone.
Since the Maui wildfires, the calls she says she’s received aren’t to make funeral arrangements for those lost — it’s people calling to see if she has information on their missing loved ones. She doesn’t.
“We really have no answers for them which makes it even harder,” Chaney said. “It is getting a little overwhelming, but I know there’s more that’s coming.”
“I don’t know how to explain it, we want to do so much, but you can’t because you’re stuck. This has never happened,” she said.
Even as the death toll continues to rise, Chaney said she’s still coming to terms with what has happened.
“I’m kind of just trying to — I’m in shock. I just don’t want to believe that this happened,” she said. “And today it’s raining. Where was the rain yesterday? Where was it the day before?”
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
Aug 10, 7:45 PM EDT
Coast Guard says it’s rescued 57 people in Maui
The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it has rescued 57 people amid its response to the Lahaina wildfires in Maui.
Seventeen people were saved from the water, while another 40 were found ashore by Coast Guard Station Maui boat crews, it said.
“The Coast Guard has no reports of missing persons in the water, however Coast Guard aircrews and surface assets continue search and rescue operations,” the agency said.
Aug 10, 7:30 PM EDT
Death toll increases to 53
The death toll from the Maui fires has increased to 53, officials said Thursday.
“As firefighting efforts continue, 17 additional fatalities have been confirmed today amid the active Lahaina fire” as of 1:10 p.m. local time, Maui County said. “This brings the death toll to 53 people.”
No other details were available.
Aug 10, 6:56 PM EDT
Perfect storm of weather conditions led to devastating wildfires
A perfect storm of weather conditions led to the massive inferno that has killed dozens of people in Maui and caused widespread destruction.
The fires, which sparked Tuesday night, were fueled by an unfortunate combination of a landscape parched by drought conditions and strong winds.
Aug 10, 6:46 PM EDT
Husband, wife reunite after losing Lahaina home in fire
While fleeing their burning home in Lahaina overnight Tuesday, Steven Scott got separated from his wife, Patricia, and had been unable to get ahold of her — until now.
After more than 30 hours without a phone, Scott told ABC News he was able to borrow someone’s phone with just 6% battery life left and his wife answered. She had made her way to Walmart and found a way to charge her phone.
Scott quickly told his wife to meet him at the McDonald’s before the phone ran out of battery, telling her he would wait “as long as it takes.” They were soon reunited at the restaurant.
That wasn’t the only reunion for the family on Thursday; Scott said he was also able to locate his son and daughter-in-law, who had fled the flames with only their pets and a few dollars. The whole family lost their homes and business in the fire.
Scott previously recounted to ABC News his harrowing escape. He said he tried to fight the fire with a hose before managing to flee.
“I was trapped,” the 70-year-old said. “We had to run to the harbor.”
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Aug 10, 6:19 PM EDT
Lahaina residents wait to return to check on homes
At the road block to Lahaina, dozens of residents who have slept in their cars are parked along the street waiting for the opportunity to check on their homes and neighbors. Right now, officials are only allowing emergency response crews to pass the blockade.
Lahaina resident Al Crisostomo told ABC News through tears about his escape from the flames days ago.
“It was a huge black smoke and it’s indescribable, it’s like apocalyptic,” he said.
Crisostomo said he fears his home is gone, among the hundreds decimated.
Since the early morning, dozens of emergency resources have passed through the blockade. Multiple Hawaiian Electric trucks are en route to restore power, and several truck loads of food have also gone through.
-ABC News’ Melissa Adan
Aug 10, 5:38 PM EDT
Wildfire in Lahaina 80% contained, officials say
The wildfire that has caused significant damage in Lahaina is reported to be 80% contained, Maui County officials said.
Among the other two active fires in Maui, the Pulehu fire, in an area of Kīhei, is reported to be 70% contained, officials said.
There is no update at this time on the Upcountry fire, in the areas of Olinda and Upper Kula, officials said.
Amid the disaster, Lahaina remains without power.
Some 1,400 people stayed at Kahului Airport overnight Wednesday while waiting to evacuate, the county said.
Aug 10, 5:17 PM EDT
Some tourists just learning extent of the fires
Three buses with 168 tourists just arrived at the packed Kahului Airport in Maui. Passengers told ABC News that they have not had power or cell service for two days. Some said they had no idea how bad these fires were until half an hour ago when they first got cell phone service back and were able to see the extent of the devastation.
Some don’t have plane reservations, while others have tickets for the weekend. They said the resorts told them they had to leave and to get on the buses, so they did without much of a plan and little information.
-ABC News’ Will Carr and Timmy Truong
Aug 10, 4:55 PM EDT
Lahaina resident ‘scared’ to learn death toll
Lahaina resident Leif Wright held back tears as he told ABC News Live he is “scared” to learn the death toll of the fire.
“I don’t even know what the body count is going to be. I’m very scared to hear, but I’m really nervous. A lot of friends are missing,” Wright said.
Wright evacuated after trying to help save neighbors and pets in his neighborhood. He lost his home in the fire.
He urged anyone who wants to help to donate to food drives or help give clothing to residents who lost everything.
Leif Wright, a resident of Lahiana, joins @kyraphillips with an emotional account of the wildfires that burned down his home.
“The entire neighborhood was covered in smoke…a lot of people are still missing.” pic.twitter.com/TWWCenLVLu
In an interview with ABC News Live, Malika Dudley, meteorologist for ABC Honolulu affiliate KITV, said residents are “feeling so, so sorrowful” as more damage is being surveyed and the death toll continues to rise.
“So many people are missing,” Dudley said during the emotional interview. “We’re seeing a lot of things coming up on Instagram, my grandma, my grandpa, my son. I just saw one and a 12-year-old that’s missing. There’s no words. There’s no words.”
Dudley said that Maui residents will need “a lot of support to get out of this.”
“Those are people’s homes, people’s businesses, people’s livelihood,” Dudley said. “And this is on top of the you know, what is most poignant to us right now, which is just the loss of life and trying to reunite families right now.”
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Aug 10, 3:43 PM EDT
Survivor jumped into water to escape flames: ‘It seemed like I might drown’
Shawn Dougherty is recovering from burn injuries at a shelter set up at the War Memorial Gym in Maui after jumping into water to escape from the flames.
Dougherty told ABC News the “first sign of peril” on Tuesday was when a tree in his backyard snapped from strong wind gusts. When a house in his Lahaina neighborhood started to fill with smoke, he and his girlfriend drove toward the harbor, where businesses were on fire.
He and his girlfriend ended up leaving their car and jumping in the water to escape the flames. Dougherty said he got cuts and bruises from getting knocked against the rocks and coral.
“At one point, it seemed like I might drown,” he said. “I’m a good swimmer, but the water was just really rough because of the wind and the turbulence.”
They had to temporarily swim away from the rock wall because of the intense heat from the fires, he said. A first responder eventually told them to get out of the water because “it’s not going to get any better,” so he and his girlfriend took the chance and climbed out.
“I couldn’t even make it across the street because the pavement was so hot. And now I have second degree burns on the bottom of my feet,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty said he had difficulties walking due to his burns and lost track of his girlfriend after getting out of the water. He ended up waiting in the water and on the rock wall until firefighters carried him to a truck and ultimately brought him to a hospital for treatment.
He’s been at the shelter since Wednesday morning and hasn’t been able to get ahold of his girlfriend since.
“I’ve got to find a way to procure a phone so I can start making contacts with people and find my beautiful girlfriend,” he said. “I’m so scared.”
-ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez
Aug 10, 1:12 PM EDT
Biden approves Hawaii emergency disaster declaration
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in Hawaii and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires.
The declaration unlocked grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property loses and other programs to help residents and business owners recover from the wildfires. It also unlocks federal funding for state and eligible local governments for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Maui and assistance for emergency protective measures for Hawaii County.
Biden also spoke with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green about the wildfires to express his condolences for the lives lost and the vast destruction of land and property.
“President Biden confirmed he signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaii that will deliver additional federal resources and support on top of the actions already underway by FEMA, the National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies to support the emergency response,” the White House said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Aug 10, 12:31 PM EDT
United cancels inbound flights to Kahului Airport, as airlines add extra flights from Maui
In the aftermath of the Hawaii wildfires, airlines flying to Maui have added extra flights to take people off the island. United Airlines canceled Thursday’s inbound flights to Kahului Airport so planes can fly empty and be used as passenger flights back to the mainland.
Other airlines told ABC News they are continuing their scheduled operations and have issued waivers or flexible travel policies.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is monitoring the fires and winds, but operations remain normal. According to FlightAware, 14 flights at Kahului Airport have been canceled and 18 are delayed.
-ABC News’ Clara McMichael
Aug 10, 11:21 AM EDT
Chaos at Maui’s main airport as hundreds try to leave
Hundreds of people spent the night at the Kahului Airport on Maui, after local authorities asked everyone who does not need to be on the island to leave amid raging wildfires.
Many raced to the airport on Wednesday only to find out that their flights had been canceled or delayed. So, they slept there on the ground, on baggage carts and on X-ray machines — whatever they could find that was relatively comfortable.
Some people told ABC News that they are hoping to fly out on Thursday. Others said they were informed by airlines that they won’t be able to get on flights until the weekend.
One mother told ABC News that she has rented a car that she will sleep in with her two young children for the next two days. But that, she said with a tear in her eye, is nothing compared to losing your house or the life of a loved one.
Aug 10, 10:46 AM EDT
Hawaii governor to tour wildfire damage on Maui
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is scheduled to arrive in Maui early Thursday.
Green is expected to hold a joint press conference with Maui Mayor Richard Bissen after touring the wildfire damage.
Aug 10, 8:01 AM EDT
3 wildfires remain active, uncontained on Maui
There are three active wildfires burning on Maui as of Thursday morning, according to Maui County spokesperson Mahina Martin.
Martin told ABC News that those fires are still not contained, though improved weather conditions have helped the situation.
There was no update for the number of acres that the blazes have burned. The Kula fire was a little over 1,000 acres as of early Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Alyssa Pone
Aug 10, 6:41 AM EDT
Latest wind forecast for Hawaii
The National Weather Service has canceled all high wind and red flag warning alerts for Hawaii as wind speeds are expected to decrease slightly on Thursday.
But wind gusts are still forecast to get up to 25 to 35 miles per hour, which will not help the fight to contain raging wildfires on Maui.
Over the last few days, winds have gusted to as high as 82 mph in parts of Hawaii. In Maui County, wind speeds got up to 67 mph.
This is due to very strong trade winds and the increased pressure gradient between the high pressure to the north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.
Dora never hit Hawaii, only coming as close as 700 miles to the south. So the winds are not due to Dora but rather the pressure gradient effect.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Aug 10, 4:35 AM EDT
Death toll rises to 36 on Maui
At least 36 people have died as wildfires tear through the Hawaiian island of Maui, according to officials.
During a press conference early Thursday, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen confirmed that the death toll is “growing.”
“We knew of six earlier. We are probably around 36 as of now,” Bissen said.
Maui County also confirmed in a statement late Wednesday that “36 total fatalities have been discovered today”
-ABC News’ Alyssa Pone
Aug 09, 11:15 PM EDT
More than 271 structures impacted
Authorities say more than 271 structures have been impacted, as fires continue to burn into early evening local time.
A federal team has arrived on the island to assist in search and rescue efforts in Lahaina, Maui County said Wednesday.
Close to 100 Maui firefighters have been on duty around the clock, including 11 from the state airport, the county said. The Maui Fire Department has reached out for additional support, requesting 20 more firefighters from Honolulu, Oahu and an incident management team.
Firefighters are addressing spot fires in Lahaina. Two Chinooks, along with four Windward Aviation helicopters, have been battling all three fires with water drops. Three additional helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy have conducted search and rescue along the West Maui coastline, the county said.
The Maui FD reported no significant changes for the Lahaina, Upcountry and Pūlehu fires as of the afternoon local time.
There are no new evacuations, however, motorists are prohibited from entering Lahaina while the fire is active, with police on hand to prevent entry into the area. Residents who are still in Lahaina have been advised they can evacuate via Kahakuloa.
Aug 09, 9:37 PM EDT
FEMA approves disaster relief as wildfires rage, thousands without power
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hawaii’s request for a disaster declaration for help with a wildfire on Kohala Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency.
Around 200 homes in and near Kohala Ranch have been impacted by the fires that began on Tuesday, the state’s emergency management agency said in a press release.
“The fire was also threatening a volunteer fire department, local electrical transmission lines and an AT&T cellular communications tower in the area,” Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said.
There are 12,400 customers without power, according to Hawaiian Electric. The company is working to get some power restored.
Aug 09, 7:30 PM EDT
Helicopter pilot on Maui devastation
When helicopter pilot Richard Olsten flew above Lahaina, Maui, on Wednesday, he said he was not prepared for what he saw.
“It was heartbreaking,” Olsten told ABC News Live. “There’s hundreds of homes burned down to the ground. The entire area of Front Street, the whole historic area, is gone, burned to the ground.”
“We were just speechless with one another as we viewed this horrible destruction of the town,” Olsten said.
Aug 09, 7:27 PM EDT
Latest from airlines
So far on Wednesday, there have been 17 cancellations and 46 delays at Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, according to FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines said it anticipates operating a full schedule out of Maui on Wednesday, adding two more flights to help accommodate customers from flights canceled the day before.
American Airlines said it canceled all flights to Kahului Airport on Wednesday but expects to operate the majority of flights out of the airport “to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier it’s monitoring the wildfire and winds in Hawaii, but operations remain normal. A spokesperson said that, if necessary, the agency will take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into areas that experience reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Aug 09, 6:47 PM EDT
‘I was trapped’: Maui fire survivors speak out
A Maui resident recounted escaping from his burning home in an interview with ABC News’ Gio Benitez on Wednesday.
“We started smelling the smoke, and that’s when we knew we had trouble,” Steve Scott said. “It came, and it came quick.”
Scott said he tried to fight the fire with a hose before managing to flee.
“I was trapped,” he said. “We had to run to the harbor.”
Scott said the loss is “horrible,” especially along Front Street in downtown Lahaina, just as the tourist-driven area started to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t know if we can recover from this,” he said.
Aug 09, 6:43 PM EDT
Biden on wildfire response
President Joe Biden and the first lady said they are sending condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the Maui wildfires.
In a statement Wednesday evening, Biden said he has ordered “all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response” and is urging “all residents to continue to follow evacuation orders, listen to the instructions of first responders and officials, and stay alert.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Aug 09, 4:43 PM EDT
‘Our beautiful island has been ravaged by fires’
Maui Chamber of Commerce President Pamela Tumpap detailed the level of devastation in a phone interview with ABC News Live.
“Our beautiful island has been ravaged by fires from the mountain to the ocean,” Tumpap said.
Tumpap said some areas look like they have been “completely leveled.”
“We’ve lost a lot of homes and we’ve lost a lot of business places and we’ve lost cultural and historic resources that were in the Chinatown that have burned to the ground,” Tumpap said. “We are seeing fires unlike what we’ve ever seen before.”
Tumpap cautioned travelers against coming to the island, saying it is “not going to be the Maui vacation that you planned” and visitors will have a hard time finding resources.
Aug 09, 4:20 PM EDT
At least 6 deaths reported in Maui, mayor says
There have been at least six deaths reported in Maui County amid devastating wildfires, officials said.
“We’re still in a search and rescue mode, and so I don’t know what will happen to that number,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
More than 2,100 people are in shelters in Maui County, he said.
Shelters are “overrun” amid the disaster, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said while urging tourists not to travel there.
“This is not a safe place to be,” she said.
Aug 09, 4:01 PM EDT
Mother evacuates in middle of the night with 2 children
Maui resident Malika Dudley described to ABC News Live her experience evacuating from the raging wildfires in Hawaii with her two children in the middle of the night.
Currently in Haliimaile, which is on the slopes of Haleakalā, Dudley can still see the fire from the mountain growing and spreading.
“We were in the very first evacuation at 1 a.m.. I started to smell smoke in my home, and I woke my husband up and he said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it.’ At 1:30, I thought, ‘No, something’s on fire in our house.'”
Eventually, Dudley, who is also a meteorologist for ABC affiliate KITV, got a call from their neighbor and the fire was right above their property.
“We got a call from our neighbor who said, ‘Get out of your house.’ And we looked out the window and there was a red glow outside of our window,” she said. “The fire was right above our property.”
Aug 09, 3:50 PM EDT
Hawaii governor: ‘Some loss of life is expected’
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned “some loss of life is expected” amid the wildfires.
“Heroic efforts by first responders have prevented many casualties from occurring, but some loss of life is expected,” Green said in a statement Wednesday. “Our entire emergency response team, including the Hawai‘i National Guard has mobilized and is being supported by FEMA.”
Green will be returning to the islands immediately due to the wildfire emergency, his office announced.
(KENOSHA, Wis.) — Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, say they’ve launched an internal investigation into the forceful arrest of a man wrongfully suspected of fleeing a crash. The incident was caught on cell phone video inside an Applebee’s restaurant.
According to a criminal complaint filed against the man for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News affiliate WISN, Kenosha police officers were responding to reports of a rollover crash nearby where multiple people fled the scene. The officer was looking for “an African American male and African American female” with a baby who had “run toward Kohl’s or Menards,” the complaint says. The woman was described as wearing a red shirt with a bun on top of her head.
Jennifer Harris, the manager at a nearby Applebee’s who was on duty at the time, says the police initially went into the restaurant asking employees if they had seen any individuals that matched that description, but an employee said they hadn’t. Minutes later, another employee spotted two individuals with a baby that seemed to match the description and she called the police, Harris told ABC News.
The complaint states that an officer looking for the suspects from the crash went back to the restaurant and identified a man and a woman who had a baby and matched the description of the suspects.
According to the complaint and court records, the man encountered by police in the Applebee’s was identified as Jermelle English. The complaint says officers initially believed he and the woman were involved in the accident and were evading police.
“After being asked what car they arrived in, they indicated that they did not need to answer any questions and refused to tell” the officer, the complaint says.
Harris says she believes English then got up to change his baby’s diaper, but the criminal complaint says he “started walking toward the exit.”
In the cell phone video, employees attempt to grab the baby as police try to arrest English. People can be heard yelling “get the baby” as the chaotic scene ensues. An employee yells “Careful, the baby’s head” as officers attempt to subdue English.
Once an employee was able to get a hold of the baby and pass it to Harris, multiple officers tackle English to the ground. The cell phone video shows one officer repeatedly striking him while he’s pinned down.
The complaint says the woman who was with English was fighting with another officer while English was being detained and that an officer witnessed her “actively pulling her arm away” as police tried to take her into custody.
Police officers “also deployed pepper spray without letting anyone know so we all were having some respiratory issues,” Harris says. “Also, that is why I couldn’t get the baby to calm down, because I realized the baby had been pepper sprayed — was right there when it happened.” She says officers called for EMS when she told them the baby had been exposed to pepper spray.
Police dispute the claim the baby was nearby when the pepper spray was deployed.
“The child was not in the immediate area when pepper spray was used so wasn’t directly exposed. It’s hard to say if the child was affected due to any particulates in the air,” a spokesperson for the Kenosha Police Department said.
Harris says police later found the individuals suspected of fleeing the crash hiding out in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant and thinks they “snuck into the Applebee’s using a side door and not the front door.”
Information on charges for those suspects was not immediately available.
English, meanwhile, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
“I think they [Kenosha police] still felt like what they did to the couple was justifiable because he [English] didn’t answer their questions so they kind of treated it like it was two separate incidents,” Harris told ABC News. “Now, this one is getting arrested for not complying and for resisting arrest, but an arrest that shouldn’t even happen.”
A police department spokesperson said, “The Kenosha Police Department has an internal process in place to review our officer’s use of force that is more robust than what the state requires. We were aware of the incident immediately as a result of that process and started a review of it. Currently it is under investigation. The investigation when complete will be comprehensive and dictate whether the officers acted appropriately or not and if any disciplinary action or additional training is deemed necessary.”
The forceful arrest comes three years after a white officer shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back after Kenosha police responded to an alleged domestic dispute. Blake survived the shooting, but was paralyzed from the waist down.
Following an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department in the Blake case, the agency said the evidence was insufficient to prove the officer “willfully used excessive force.” The county DA also declined to file charges against the officer and the police department said he acted “within policy.”
Harris adds she was fired from her job shortly after the incident.
Applebee’s did not immediately comment on the nature of Harris’s firing, but sent a statement to ABC News from a local franchisee about the arrest seen on video.
Cas Banaszek, vice president of operations of the local Applebee’s franchisee, said in a statement, “The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is a top priority. We are committed to cooperating with the local authorities in their investigation and any additional questions can be directed to the Kenosha Police Department.”
Harris says the incident left her and other employees “upset” and “traumatized.”
(PLUM, Pa.) — Three people were injured and three remain missing after an apparent house explosion in Western Pennsylvania Saturday morning that destroyed several homes, officials said.
Police received a 911 call reporting a “house explosion with multiple injuries and several houses on fire” at approximately 10:23 a.m., according to Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs.
First responders found people trapped under debris, Downs said. One house appears to have exploded, with two others becoming engulfed in flames, she said.
Multiple other homes were damaged, with windows blown out.
“Three have been transported to local hospitals and three others are currently unaccounted for,” Downs said.
The incident occurred in the borough of Plum, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Video captured at the scene showed several homes on fire in the community of Rustic Ridge.
The borough of Plum urged people to stay away from Rustic Ridge in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
A woman filming a game at the municipal baseball fields shortly after 10:20 a.m. captured the boom of the explosion, a little under a mile away, according to footage she posted on Facebook.
Plum is located about 18 miles east of Pittsburgh.
ABC News’ Peter Charalambous and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(MAUI, Hawaii) — Maui county officials reported 12 additional deaths on Friday bringing the count to 67.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stated in its press release that 85% of the Lahaina fire was contained, the Pulehu/Kihei fire is 80% contained and the Upcountry Maui fire is only 50% contained.
FEMA confirmed firefighters are still “battling flare-ups in all three fires.”
With residents now allowed back into Lahaina to check on their homes and asses damage, that number is expected to keep rising.
According to a statement from Maui county officials earlier Friday, residents who could show “proof of residency and visitors with proof of hotel reservations will have access.” A curfew remains in place from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., as West Maui remains without power or water.
The latest death toll marks this the deadliest natural disaster in the state’s history. Previously, the deadliest natural disaster in the state occurred in 1960, when a tsunami killed 61 people.
Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Friday that her department will be “conducting a comprehensive review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during, and after the wildfires on Maui.”
Noting the ongoing relief effort, Lopez’s statement continued, “Now is the time to begin this process of understanding.”
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the devastating damage the fires continue to cause on the island have made Maui look like “a war zone.”
“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off,” Bissen told ABC News’ Eva Pilgrim in an interview Friday on “Good Morning America.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency for Hawaii due to the wildfires.
(LAHAINA, Hawaii) — The U.S. military’s response to the devastating wildfires on Maui was crucial in the early response to the blazes that have devastated the island and the historic town of Lahaina.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii’s National Guard and active-duty forces on the island have all pitched in to help.
Given the magnitude of Tuesday night’s fire that placed so many people in harm’s way in Lahaina and close to the water’s edge it was the U.S. Coast Guard that was first to respond, sending a Dolphin MH-65 helicopter and a 45-foot Medium Response Boat to rescue 17 survivors who had plunged into the waters off of Lahaina as the fire swept through the town.
The active-duty military has a major presence on Hawaii with nearly 40,000 active-duty military personnel stationed on 14 major military bases, most of them on Oahu, but as with most natural disasters, the military’s first response falls to a state’s National Guard under the command of a state’s governor.
And that’s what happened Tuesday night as Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who was serving as acting governor while Gov. Josh Green was out of state, activated Hawaii’s National Guard and dozens of guardsmen were ordered to assist with traffic control on both Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.
The National Guard’s aviation unit was also activated to assist with fire suppression on both islands once the winds died down enough.
However, the number of Hawaii National Guard helicopters available to assist was less than normal since many of them were in transit back to Hawaii after having participated in a large exercise in Louisiana.
Guardsmen supported the firefighting efforts on Tuesday by doing 58 aerial water drops of more than 100,000 gallons of water, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
But additional resources were needed and the active-duty military resources available in Hawaii were called upon to assist.
The Army’s active-duty 25th Infantry Division, based on the neighboring island of Oahu, was readied to provide some of its helicopters to assist with firefighting efforts and Navy aviation units on Oahu were placed on stand-by to assist with local search and rescue if needed.
By Wednesday morning, two Blackhawk UH-60’s and another Chinook from the 25th Infantry Division were sent to the Big Island to do the same with the fires that were blazing there.
MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the Navy’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 were also sent to Maui to help the US Coast Guard’s search and recovery operations.
U.S. Air Force C-17’s have also transported Honolulu Fire Department vehicles and personnel to Maui to assist with search and rescue efforts and fire suppression.
As of Thursday, 134 Hawaii National Guardsmen had been activated to assist local authorities, 99 from the Army National Guard and 35 from the Air National Guard.
Since the initial water rescues, Coast Guard Station Maui boat crews have operated on shore and have helped locate as many as 40 survivors.
All of the active-duty and National Guard forces assisting on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii are under the command of Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, the adjutant general for the State of Hawaii.
Creating unified commands under the authority of the state’s top Guard officer has become standard practice when both reserve and active duty military forces respond to natural disasters.
Where do Maui evacuees go after losing homes in the Hawaii wildfires?
(LAHAINA, Hawaii) — Lahaina resident Leif Wright was forced to evacuate from his home in the historic Maui town as wildfires threaten lives and destroy property there.
In an interview with ABC News Live, Wright held back tears as he said he’s scared to learn about the lives that have been taken by the fire.
“I don’t even know what the body count is going to be. I’m very scared to hear, but I’m really nervous,” Wright said. “A lot of friends are missing.”
Thousands have been forced to uproot their lives, salvaging what belongings they can as wildfires ravage the Hawaiian island. Dozens have died in connection with the blaze as fire, smoke and soot destroy the neighborhoods they left behind.
Wright was trying to save neighbors and pets when he realized he had to leave.
“Entire neighborhood was covered in smoke. Four of us decided to get out of there and check on some friends,” he said.
“You just knew everything was just gone,” he continued. “And then we got a notification telling us to evacuate.”
The Aloha State has seen hundreds of structures and homes destroyed by the fires. This comes amid what is one of the worst housing crises in America, in the state with the highest housing costs in the nation, according to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green told Honolulu ABC affiliate KITV on Friday that several hundred families will likely be “displaced.”
“I’m gonna pursue 2,000 hotel rooms,” he told reporters. “I would suspect that we will try to get thousands of units…to house people.”
People will likely be able to return Friday to see the aftermath of the devastation, the governor said.
“People will be able to get back to their homes today…Lahaina is a devastated zone,” Green said. “They will see destruction like they have never ever seen in their lives. Everyone, please brace themselves… The mayor will also likely announce a curfew.”
Residents are urged not go into structures that look even somewhat affected by the fire out an excess of caution, according to comments Green made in a Thursday press conference.
“We also have seen many hundreds of homes destroyed, and that’s going to take a great deal of time to recover from,” Green said Thursday.
The evacuation efforts
On Aug. 8, the Coast Guard responded to affected areas where residents had entered ocean waters to escape the fire, and transported the residents to safer locations.
Evacuation orders have been issued for Lahaina and Upcountry residents and visitors.
Buses in West Maui have been transporting residents and visitors alike, carrying 49 people per vehicle at a time, Maui officials say. Maui visitors are transported directly to the island’s Kahului Airport, while residents are taken to a Central Maui shelter.
For those visiting the island, Maui County reported that 25 buses have been operating an airport shuttle service from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and have transported more than 1,200 visitors from hotels in the Kaʻanapali area, in Maui County, to Kahului Airport.
On Thursday alone, 14,900 visitors left on flights departing Maui, according to county officials.
Residents are asking tourists to stay home, and urged them to instead send donations or relief.
“Don’t come visit right now,” Leif Wright said. “Give us give us a chance to clean up. Give us a chance to rebuild.”
Where do residents go?
Maui county officials reported that 80% of the fire had been contained as of Thursday morning. Still, Lahaina residents are restricted from returning to the area, with Lahaina-bound vehicles being stopped on Honoapiilani Highway, the route the runs along Maui’s western coast. Passage is allowed only for those leaving the area.
“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen told ABC News’ Eva Pilgrim in an interview Friday on “Good Morning America.”
“It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground,” he added. “Most structures no longer exist and for blocks and blocks of this.”
Six emergency shelters are open throughout the island, according to Maui County officials.
In Wailuku, Maui’s county seat, evacuees are staying at the War Memorial Gymnasium. In Pukalani, half an hour inland to the southeast, residents are housed in the Hannibal Tavares Community Center.
Kahului has several evacuation locations, including Maui High School, King’s Cathedral Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Maui Lani, and Grace Bible Church.
Several other venues opened their doors to provide additional shelter as existing shelters reached full occupancy.
Emergency evacuation shelters at War Memorial Complex in Wailuku, Maui High School in Kahului, and Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani housed about 1,050 people overnight on August 9 into the following morning, according to Maui county officials.
Another 300 residents and visitors stayed at emergency evacuation shelters that opened Wednesday night at Kingʻs Cathedral Maui in Kahului and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Maui Lani.
These emergency shelters don’t provide bedding, toiletries and personal care items, according to Maui County officials, and pet owners need to have pets properly restrained during their stay.
The American Red Cross also staffed emergency shelters at several locations during the start of the emergency, located Kihei Community Center, Lahaina Civic Center, and the Hannibal Tavares Community Center.
