Hawaii launches investigation into wildfire management as death toll rises

Hawaii's chief legal officer has launched a probe into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism grows of the official response.

The move came on Friday as residents of Lahaina were allowed back into the town for the first time - with most finding their homes had been reduced to ashes, and even the lucky few angry at a sense of abandonment.

Hawaii's Attorney General Anne Lopez said her office would be examining "critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during and after the wildfires on Maui and Hawai'i islands this week."

"My department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review."

Many fire survivors said in interviews that they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare, realising they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.

“There was no warning. There was absolutely none. Nobody came around. We didn’t see a fire truck or anybody," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.

Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations — but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

More fatalities expected

The confirmed death toll rose to 80 on Friday, making the wildfires the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people.

"The number of fatalities is at 80," Maui County said in a regular update, adding that 1,418 people were at emergency evacuation shelters.

Crews from Honolulu arrived on Maui along with search and rescue teams equipped with K-9 cadaver dogs, Maui County said, as firefighters were continuing to extinguish flare-ups and contain wildfires in Lahaina.

"Without a doubt, there will be more fatalities. We don't know ultimately how many will have occurred," Governor Josh Green said.

Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said on Thursday that as many as 1,000 people could be unaccounted for, though he stressed that this did not mean they were missing or dead.

Communications in the western part of the island remain tricky, and Pelletier said many of those whose whereabouts were not known could simply be out of reach.

'It hurts'

Some of those who made it back to Lahaina wandered in stunned silence trying to take in the enormity of the destruction.

Anthony La Puente said the shock of finding his home burned to nothing was profound.

"It sucks not being able to find the things you grew up with, or the things you remember," he told of the house he had lived in for 16 years.

"The only thing I can say is that it hurts. It takes a toll on you emotionally," the 44-year-old said.

For some, there was elation as they tearfully reconnected with neighbours they feared might not have got out alive, while for the luckiest, there was a joy - albeit tempered by the scale of the tragedy that counts among the worst natural disasters to hit the state of Hawaii.

"I just couldn't believe it," Keith Todd said after finding his home intact. "I'm so grateful, but at the same time it's so devastating," he added.

But even those few whose homes still appeared habitable were being warned they might not be safe.

"Some structures in the Lahaina water system were destroyed by the fire... These conditions may have caused harmful contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), to enter the water system," said Maui's water department.

"As a precaution...(we) are advising residents to not use the tap water for drinking and cooking until further notice."

The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc.