Maui – News Stories About Maui - Page 1

Sep 21, 2023 11:40 AM CDT

Symbol of Hope Emerges in Lahaina

Hawaiian town's scorched banyan tree sprouts new leaves after intensive treatment

(Newser) - Among a sea of brown, black, and gray, a hint of green in the scorched Maui town of Lahaina is cause for celebration. Locals have spotted new growth on the 150-year-old banyan tree that serves as a landmark at the center of the town largely destroyed in the Aug. 8...

After DNA Tests, Maui
Death Toll Drops to 97

Sep 18, 2023 3:01 PM CDT

After DNA Tests, Maui Death Toll Drops to 97

People died huddled together, coroner says

(Newser) - Authorities in Hawaii have adjusted the number of deaths from the deadly Maui wildfire down to at least 97 people. Officials previously said they believed at least 115 people had died in the fire, but further testing showed they had multiple DNA samples from some of the victims. The number...

Oprah, the Rock: 'This Is What
You Can Do' to Help Maui

Sep 1, 2023 1:00 PM CDT

Oprah, the Rock: 'This Is What You Can Do' to Help Maui

Stars announce fund to help displaced residents

(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson have committed $10 million to make direct payments to people on Maui who are unable to return to their homes because of the wildfires, through a new fund they announced this week. The People's Fund of Maui will give $1,200...

NWS Issues
'Red Flag Warning'
for All of Hawaii

Aug 31, 2023 12:36 PM CDT

NWS Issues 'Red Flag Warning' for All of Hawaii

Weather agency says wind gusts, low humidity have upped risk of rapid-spreading fires on islands

(Newser) - The National Weather Service on Wednesday warned that gusty winds and low humidity have increased the risk that fires could spread rapidly in the western parts of each Hawaiian island, three weeks after a deadly blaze tore through a coastal Maui town during a similar alert. But the agency said...

In Torched Maui, a Shred of 'Positive News'

Maui's Number of Missing
Changes Dramatically

UPDATED

Aug 26, 2023 5:30 AM CDT

Maui's Number of Missing Changes Dramatically

Of the 388 people verified as missing, more than 100 say they're safe

(Newser) - Almost as soon as Maui's number of missing changed dramatically, it may have changed dramatically again. The AP reports that within a day of officials releasing the names of the 388 people who were verified as still missing Thursday, more than 100 of those names might be able to...

Count of Those
Unaccounted for
in Maui Goes Up

UPDATED

Aug 23, 2023 8:02 AM CDT

Count of Those Unaccounted for in Maui Goes Up

New figure tops 1K

(Newser) - Officials on Tuesday upped the number of people who have not been accounted for following the Maui wildfires. Two days after putting the figure at 850, officials put the number in the 1,000 to 1,100 range. "That doesn't mean necessarily ... that these people are, in fact,...

Maui Official Who Declined to Deploy Emergency Sirens Resigns

Maui Official Who
Declined to Deploy
Emergency Sirens
Steps Down

Aug 18, 2023 1:00 AM CDT

Maui Official Who Declined to Deploy Emergency Sirens Steps Down

Herman Andaya resigned citing health reasons

(Newser) - Outdoor alert sirens on Maui stayed silent as a ferocious fire devastated the seaside community of Lahaina last week. The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency said he had no regrets about not deploying the system as a warning to people on the island. A day after making that...

Maui Fire 'Was Not Only
Predictable, It Was Predicted'

THE RUNDOWN

Aug 17, 2023 6:43 AM CDT

Maui Fire 'Was Not Only Predictable, It Was Predicted'

Lawsuits say Hawaiian Electric knew of wildfire risks but failed to act promptly

(Newser) - The deadliest US wildfire in more than a century "was not only predictable, it was predicted" by Hawaiian Electric and "anyone else who bothered to look into the issue," says Mikel Watts, the lead attorney in a lawsuit filed against the company Wednesday. The lawsuit accuses the...

After Leading
Response to
Vegas Massacre,
He's Maui's Police Chief

Aug 16, 2023 6:01 AM CDT

After Leading Response to Vegas Massacre, He's Maui's Police Chief

John Pelletier referenced the 2017 tragedy while discussing wildfire victims

(Newser) - The death toll in Maui's devastating wildfires climbed to 106 on Tuesday, Maui County officials told CNN , warning that it could end up significantly higher considering only about a third of the search area has been combed so far. And the police chief dealing with the fallout is no...

Hawaii Firefighters Ran Into
the Most Basic Obstacle of All

Aug 14, 2023 6:19 AM CDT

Hawaii Firefighters Ran Into the Most Basic Obstacle of All

'There was just no water in the hydrants,' one tells the 'New York Times'

(Newser) - Stories have previously catalogued the series of factors that made the Hawaii wildfires so devastating: dry conditions, high winds from a hurricane, low humidity, invasive species, etc. Now the New York Times adds another, a basic one summed up in the words of a firefighter in Lahaina: "There was...

It's Now the Deadliest
US Fire in a Century

Aug 13, 2023 6:29 AM CDT

It's Now the Deadliest US Fire in a Century

Toll in Hawaii is at 93 and counting

(Newser) - Now that crews are finally able to search inside burnt-out homes in Hawaii , the inevitable has occurred: The death toll has jumped. The figure stood at 93 on Saturday, making it the deadliest US fire since 1910, according to the National Fire Protection Association . And as Hawaii News Now notes,...

Opening, Closing
of Highway Angers
Maui Residents

the rundown

Aug 12, 2023 5:50 PM CDT

Opening, Closing of Highway Angers Maui Residents

Officials say people are breeching barricades and entering dangerous areas

(Newser) - A chaotic scene developed Saturday on Maui as residents trying to return to their homes and businesses in Lahaina after the wildfires grew frustrated by the repeated opening and closing of the main highway to the community. Steven and Giulietta Daiker told CNN that after three hours, they had almost...

Report: Maui Officials Didn't
Use Sirens to Alert Lahaina

Aug 12, 2023 9:00 AM CDT

Report: Maui Officials Didn't Use Sirens to Alert Lahaina

Communications efforts are now under scrutiny after wildfire that has left at least 80 dead

(Newser) - In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social-media posts that reached a much smaller audience. Power and cellular...

Brace for Hawaii Death Toll
to Rise Quickly

the rundown

Aug 11, 2023 2:23 PM CDT

Brace for Hawaii Death Toll to Rise Quickly

Rescuers have yet to be able to search inside buidlings

(Newser) - The death toll from the Hawaiian wildfires stood at 55 on Friday afternoon, but it's expected to multiply in the near future. The reason? Authorities have not yet been able to search inside the scores of burned-out buildings. "We're waiting for FEMA to help with that search,...

Amid Maui Destruction, the
'Heartbeat of Lahaina' Endures

Aug 11, 2023 10:35 AM CDT

Amid Maui Destruction, the 'Heartbeat of Lahaina' Endures

Historic 150-year-old banyan tree is scorched but still standing—for now

(Newser) - The wildfire that's been tearing across the island of Maui has proven devastating, with people forced to leap into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames and a growing death toll of more than 50 . The city of Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was especially...

Survivors in Maui Kept Running
Because 'the Fire Didn't Stop'

Aug 10, 2023 7:35 PM CDT

Survivors in Maui Kept Running Because 'the Fire Didn't Stop'

Death toll climbs and will rise again, governor says

(Newser) - The official death toll in the wildfire that swept through the Hawaiian island of Maui rose to 53 on Thursday, and Gov. Josh Green said it will go higher. "I'll tell you, by the time this disaster is all described, I'm sure there will be dozens of...

Death Toll Hits 36 in Maui Fires

Aug 10, 2023 6:11 AM CDT

Death Toll Hits 36 in Maui Fires

'All of Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It's like an apocalypse'

(Newser) - At least 36 people have died in wildfires in Hawaii, officials say, making the Maui fires one of the deadliest disasters in the state's history. The office of Maui Mayor Richard Blissen confirmed the death toll Wednesday night and said it is likely to rise, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports....

Hawaii Wildfires Force
People Into the Ocean

the rundown

Aug 9, 2023 9:20 AM CDT

Hawaii Wildfires Force People Into the Ocean

The scene is described as 'apocalyptic' on the island of Maui

(Newser) - Add Hawaii to the locales battling raging wildfires in the summer of 2023. But in this case, Hawaii's unique geography has led to an unreal consequence: Some people have had to literally jump into the ocean to escape the flames. Coverage:

On Maui: The Coast Guard tweeted that it

...

Snorkeling Tour Boat
Allegedly Left Couple
Behind in Open Ocean

Snorkeling Tour Boat Allegedly Left Couple Behind in Open Ocean

They say they had to swim to the nearest shore, Lanai

(Newser) - When Elizabeth Webster and Alexander Burckle set out from Maui on a snorkeling trip during their honeymoon in 2021, they were probably expecting a bit of an adventure—but not to be left behind at sea. That's what the California couple says happened, and they're now suing the...

In Hawaii, a 2nd
Shark Attack in 5 Days

UPDATED

Dec 14, 2022 9:05 AM CST

In Hawaii, a 2nd Shark Attack in 5 Days

Man is recovering after bite to the rear; search has ended for other presumed victim

(Newser) - A man in Hawaii has reportedly survived a shark bite to the butt in what's believed to be the second attack in the state in a week. The 68-year-old from Waikoloa used a diving knife to fend off the 12-foot-long tiger shark as he swam in Anaehoomalu Bay, on...