Death toll from Hawaii’s Maui wildfire rises to 55

At least 55 people have died as a result of the wildfires on Maui, and the death toll is anticipated to grow.

Hawaii’s Lahaina, a popular tourist destination, has been devastated, and it will cost billions of dollars and many years to restore.

The biggest natural disaster in the history of the state, according to Governor Josh Green, was the blaze that left thousands of people homeless and up to 1,000 buildings in smoldering rubble throughout much of Lahaina.

Governor Green stated that it will be a new Lahaina that Maui builds in its own image with its own values.

The city according to Mr Green draws 2 million tourists each year.

The fast-moving inferno, which started on Tuesday, spread from the brush outside of town and ravaged the historic city of Lahaina that was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

It was one of three major wildfires on Maui, all of them still burning, that were fueled by dry conditions, a buildup of fuel and 60 mph (100 kph) gusts of wind.

Even as firefighters continue to put out smaller fires and search and rescue teams almost certainly have yet to recover all the dead, federal recovery dollars have started to flow along with an influx of supplies and equipment.

Cadaver dogs from California and Washington were among those arriving to assist search and rescue crews combing through the rubble, according to officials.

Thousands of tourists and locals were evacuated from the western half of Maui, which has a year-round population of around 166,000 people, with some seeking refuge on the island or on nearby Oahu. Tourists camped out at Kahului Airport, awaiting planes home.