With nearly all of Lahaina now searched in the one month since a wind-whipped inferno tore through the town, the death toll from the Maui fires has stood at 115 people for more than two weeks, the New York Times reported Friday. The Times also reported the FBI’s confirmation that 385 people are still missing since the August 8 conflagration.
Survivors now in the thick of recovery meanwhile are questioning Maui Mayor Richard Bissen’s response the night of the fire and calling for him to resign as his office refuses to answer whether he stayed with his key staff in the emergency operations center overnight as firefighters battled the blaze, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported. And as of this week, unsafe water advisories remain in effect for parts of Lahaina and Upper Kula, Maui Now reported first on Wednesday.
Hawaiian tourism officials, who at first called on visitors to stay away during the immediate aftermath, are now inviting travelers back to the region as long as they stay away from the burn zone. The number of visitors arriving on Maui plunged about 70% after the fire, down to 2,000 a day, Associated Press reported. The state’s Tourism Authority is also launching a $2.6 million campaign to woo travelers back, according to AP.
Homes and vehicles destroyed after a wind driven wildfire burned from the hills through neighborhoods to the Pacific Ocean, as seen in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 17, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Donated clothes are seen at a distribution center for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park in Napili-Honokowai, west of Maui, Hawaii, August 14, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) An attendee reacts during a Sunday church service held by Pastor Brown of Lahaina’s Grace Baptist Church, at Maui Coffee Attic in Wailuku, central Maui, Hawaii on August 13, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) A missing person flyer for Joseph “Lomsey” Lara is posted on the door of a business in a shopping mall in Lahaina, Hawaii, Monday, August 21, 2023, following wildfires that devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui earlier in the month. Nearly a month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed scores of people, authorities on Maui are working their way through a list of the missing that has grown almost as quickly as names have been removed. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) A member of the National Guard walks through a charred neighborhood in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 16, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Burned cars, destroyed homes and businesses are seen in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 16, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) An offering of flowers is left on the ground following the Maui fires in Lahaina, West Maui, Hawaii, August 16, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) A man on a bike carries a cross in the north side of Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 16, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) People line up for food donations a distribution center for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park in Napili-Honokowai, west of Maui, Hawaii, August 14, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) Bottled water is stacked at a food and supply distribution center in Lahaina, Hawaii, Tuesday, August 22, 2023, following a devastating wildfire. Residents of Maui are eager to learn when they can expect safe drinking water to be restored in the wake of last month’s catastrophic wildfires, but extensive testing is still needed and officials are urging patience. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, August 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) A man views the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Saturday, August 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) A girl rides her bike past a sign that says “Tourist Keep Out,” in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, August 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Marine One, carrying US President Joe Biden, flies above wildfire damage in Lahaina on the island of Maui, in Hawaii on August 21, 2023. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden participate in a blessing ceremony with the Lahaina elders at Moku’ula following wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden wear Hawaiian leis as they walk to board Air Force One before departing Kahului Airport in Kahului, Hawaii, on August 21, 2023. The Bidens spent the day meeting with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) US President Joe Biden (C) greets a rescue dog wearing protective boots as he meets with first responders during an operational briefing on response and recovery efforts following wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Riley McGregor (R) and Jared Appleby (L) unload supplies at a neighborhood distribution center on August 16, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) A sign is posted on the side of the road on August 16, 2023 in Olowalu, Hawaii. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) People gather for a community paddle out, organized by nonprofit Na Kama Kai for those affected by the Maui Fires, at Kuhio Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) People blow Hawaiian conch shells before a community paddle out, organized by nonprofit Na Kama Kai for those affected by the Maui Fires, at Kuhio Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) People hold hands and pray during a community paddle out, organized by nonprofit Na Kama Kai for those affected by the Maui Fires, at Kuhio Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) People paddle back after participating in a community paddle out, organized by nonprofit Na Kama Kai for those affected by the Maui Fires, at Kuhio Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) People prepare Hawaiian ti leaf before a community paddle out, organized by nonprofit Na Kama Kai for those affected by the Maui Fires, at Kuhio Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) An outdoor warning siren system stands over Kamaole Beach Park I on August 13, 2023 in Kihei, Hawaii. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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