The death toll from the fire that devastated the island of Maui, in Hawaii, has risen to 96 confirmed victims: the county of the same name announced this morning, as reported by Nbc News. Flames engulfed the town last week, making this a fire the most serious in the United States since the last century. Newly arrived figure surpassed the toll from the 2018 Northern California wildfire that left 85 dead.
A century ago, the 1918 Cloquet Fire erupted in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and ripped through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds. At least two other fires have occurred on Maui, with no deaths reported so far: in the Kihei area of the south of the island and in the mountainous inland communities known as the Upcountry. A fourth erupted Friday night in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but emergency responders were able to put it out, authorities said.
Portable hotspots are coming to restore the internet
Portable mobile hotspots have arrived on Maui to help bring Internet service to the thousands who may not have been able to get help since the fires erupted. CNN reports it underlining that Verizon has announced that its teams are rolling out the first batch of satellite mobile hotspots at evacuation sites in areas of greatest need, especially the western side of the island, west of Maalaea, Lahaina and north Kapalua. Verizon’s larger equipment, which is being brought in from Honolulu, is expected to arrive later in the day. This includes Colt (Cells on Light Trucks) – a mobile site and specialized satellite trailer used to provide service to a damaged cell site.
US civil protection: ‘5.5 billion needed for reconstruction’
FEMA, the US federal agency for civil protection, estimates that 5.5 billion dollars will be needed for reconstruction in Maui after the devastating fires of recent days. Over 2,200 properties were damaged or destroyed, along with 2,170 acres of land.