850 People Still Unaccounted For Following Aug. 8 Lahaina Fire, Mayor Says
Nearly two weeks after the deadly Aug. 8 wildfire that devastated much of Lāhainā, there are still 850 people still unaccounted for, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced in a brief video posted Sunday night on the county’s social media channels.
This number is less than that previously reported by Governor Josh Green, who last week said there were more than 1,000 individuals who were still missing.
Bissen said that the number of confirmed deceased remains at 114. Just 27 of those individuals have been identified, and 11 families have been notified as of Aug. 20, Bissen added.
The American Red Cross, FBI Honolulu, Maui Police Department and Emergency Management Agency have been collecting names of those who are still missing nearly two weeks after the wildfire, according to Bissen. These lists have been “combined and refined” by the FBI, according to the mayor.
The Maui County Coroner and FBI are collaborating on efforts to identify all of the remains, Bissen said.
The missing persons list originally contained more than 2,000 names and approximately 1,285 individuals have been safely located, according to Bissen.
Bissen encouraged family members of missing persons to visit the Family Assistance Center at the Hyatt Regency Maui in Kāʻanapali between 10am and 8pm daily and give a DNA sample.
Those offering DNA samples will need to provide basic information like their full name, date of birth, address and contact number in case follow-up questions are needed. Similar details about the missing person in question will also need to be provided, as well as the loved one’s relationship to them.
Immediate biological family members will provide the most useful DNA, according to Julie French of ANDA, a rapid DNA tech company, who was featured in a separate video the County of Maui Facebook page this evening.
“It’s really important to have more than one family member come forward,” French said. “The more family members that we can get, the better comparisons we can do and the faster we can do them.”
DNA samples will be taken through a cheek swab, which will be collected, logged and compared to the DNA of unidentified individuals who are among the deceased.
This entire process is estimated to take 5 minutes or less, according to county officials.
Bissen said that family members of missing persons who are residing on other islands or the Mainland can arrange to provide a DNA sample by calling the FBI at 808-566-4300.
The mayor also announced a press conference, which will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, though the time and location was not specified in his statement. In addition to taking questions from members of the media, Bissen has invited the public to submit questions via email at community@mauicounty.gov.
“Our lives have changed forever and things will not be the same. What will be the same is the way we care for each other as we grieve and go through this together,” Bissen said.
*Lead image courtesy County of Maui / Facebook
