At least 36 people have died due to the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, county officials announced late Wednesday local time.
No less than 20 others have been injured in the fires focused in Maui County, and nearly 300 structures have been damaged from the natural disaster. Thousands have fled the island of Maui to escape the devastation.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the state’s request for a disaster declaration to provide assistance with the wildfires. An emergency declaration for the state was issued on Tuesday night.
Maui fire officials warned that the fires are a result of erratic winds, steep slopes, and dropping humidity. They said the difficult terrain mixed with the direction and the location of the fires has made it challenging to predict the paths and speed of the fires accurately.
“We had three conditions that led to this fire,” explained Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the Hawaii Department of Defense. “And because of the winds, helicopters could not help with the fire suppression mission until Wednesday.”
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Satellite photographs show the damage the wildfires have done to the coastline in Lahaina, Maui.
On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said the recovery from the fires is “going to take years.”
