MAUI, HAWAII: Hawaii Governor Josh Green has announced that the death toll from the Maui fires has reached 89, making them the deadliest wildfires in modern US history.
The fast-moving fires erupted overnight on Tuesday, August 8, and "destroyed" much of the historic town of Lahaina, forcing residents to evacuate their homes.
Only two of the 89 victims have been identified so far, stated Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, who noted the exceeding difficulty in determining the identity of the dead, saying, "We pick up the remains and they fall apart."
Authorities would be using rapid DNA testing and dental records to expedite the process of identifying the deceased. "When we find our family and our friends, the remains that we’re finding are through a fire that melted metal. We have to do rapid DNA to identify them. Every one of these 89 are John and Jane Does," said Pelletier, according to Associate Press.
As authorities continue to combat the disasters, several law firms announced plans to take legal action against Hawaiian Electric, alleging that the state's major power provider may be to blame for the catastrophic wildfires.
Who is the CEO of Hawaiian Electric?
Shelee Kimura is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaiian Electric, which provides service to 95% of Hawaii's population on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.
She has held the position since January 2022 and joined the company as the Vice President of Corporate Planning and Business Development in 2014.
However, Kimura has been with the organization for almost two decades since she was initially hired as Hawaiian Electric Industries' Director of Corporate Finance and Investments in 2004.
The company has come under fire for reportedly neglecting to turn off the electricity as the flames broke out on Tuesday. According to two former power and energy executives contacted by The Washington Post, Hawaiian Electric recognized a power shut-off was an effective approach but failed to include it in its fire mitigation preparations.
At least one class action lawsuit is apparently being contemplated, which may result in the corporation being held accountable for the catastrophe that has so far claimed at least 89 lives and destroyed over 2,200 structures.
Hawaiian Electric's equipment might have been the ignition source of the Lahaina fires
Attorneys with Watts Guerra, Singleton Schreiber, and Frantz Law Group said they have been gathering information, speaking with witnesses, and studying data that suggest Hawaiian Electric's damaged power infrastructure served as the ignition source for the fires.
"All evidence — videos, witness accounts, burn progression, and utility equipment remaining — points to Hawaiian Electric’s equipment being the ignition source of the fire that devastated Lahaina," claimed Mikal Watts, a Puerto Rico-based plaintiff lawyer at Watts Guerra, as per Business Standard.
"From what we’ve learned, we believe the Lahaina fires could have been prevented had proper safety precautions been taken," expressed Gerald Singleton, a lawyer involved with the potential legal action, to the New York Times.
What will be the cost of rebuilding Lahaina?
Officials are yet to determine the initial cause of Maui wildfires. However, the National Weather Service said they were fuelled by a combination of dry vegetation, low humidity, and deadly mountain winds brought by Hurricane Dora.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) previously predicted the cost of rebuilding the wildfire-ravaged town of Lahaina might reach $5.52 billion.
Experts warned that the recovery might cost more than anticipated due to the high percentage of homes on Maui that are largely built of wood, making them "very vulnerable" to wildfires that were previously not regarded to be a threat on the islands.
Reconstruction may involve material that is more durable and less flammable - such as brick - which will likely increase costs and construction time.
