Maui residents returned home to devastation on Friday after several wildfires incinerated the entire port town of Lahaina on the west coast of Maui.
55 people are confirmed dead and 1,000 residents are unaccounted for, DailyMail.com reports.
The wildfires erupted on Maui on Tuesday. The cause of the fires are unknown. Nearly the entire town of Lahaina – population 12,700 – was reduced to grey ash and rubble.
In this image from the U.S. Department of Defense, members of the Honolulu Fire Department and vehicles were transported to Maui on a C-17 Globemaster III on August 10. Firefighters, medics and rescue specialists were deployed to help search for victims and help communities impacted by the fires.
Maui County Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. told NBC’s “Today” show on Friday that most of the bodies were found outdoors or in scorched buildings and charred cars.
Entire families were lost when they jumped into the ocean to escape the flames.
Residents were allowed to return to check on their homes on Friday, but some residents found their homes burned to the ground. They lost everything in the fires.
Firefighters are still working to contain small blazes on Maui, The Mail reports.
The governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, and Mayor Bissen said they have received help from President Biden so far — but they are still waiting for FEMA to arrive with hazmat crews to help search for bodies.
Hawaiians pleaded for help from Maui’s famous residents, including Oprah Winfrey, who owns 200 acres of lush land in the Maui town of Kula. Oprah’s home was not damaged.
Maui’s other famous residents Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez donated $100 million to help the residents start over after losing everything in the fires.
In a statement on Friday, the billionaire couple announced they would be starting a fund to help the victims.
In a statement, Sanchez said: “Jeff are I are creating a Maui fund and are dedicating $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”
