California woman identified as victim as Hawaii asks more families for DNA

Jump to content Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe News Sports Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium Close President Biden and First Lady arrive in Maui A California woman has become the first tourist known to have died in the devastating Maui wildfires that have killed 115 people. Maui County officials named 72-year-old Theresa Cook among the eight more people identified as victims this week. The total number of identified victims stands at 21, while the unconfirmed list of missing people has risen to 1,100 names, two weeks after a deadly blaze ripped through the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina. Authorities have confirmed 115 deaths following the deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the United States . They also pleaded with relatives of those missing to come forward and give DNA samples, saying the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the ashes. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with first responders and survivors on Monday and promised that the federal government would be with them ‘for as long as it takes’ to rebuild the community. Survivors were also voicing fears of a potential wave of land grabs by realtors and investors that could push Hawaiian locals from the island. 1692853860 Hawaii: Maui locals flee into ocean to escape wildfire Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 06:11 1692852895 A California woman has become the first tourist known to have died in the devastating Maui wildfires that have killed 115 people. Maui County officials named 72-year-old Theresa Cook among the eight more people identified as victims this week. Theresa Cook, 72, of El Dorado County, was among eight more people identified as victims Stuti Mishra 24 August 2023 05:54 1692849900 After a Republican National Committee social media account tried to make a big deal out of President Joe Biden petting a dog during his Hawaii visit, the White House bit back. On Monday, RNC Research tweeted : ‘Biden gets distracted by a dog: ‘That’s some hot ground, man!’ The tweet was posted alongside a video of the president petting a golden retriever while talking to a FEMA worker in Hawaii amid the fatal wildfires. In response, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates called out the Republican account in defence of Mr Biden, writing : ‘He’s petting one of the dogs that’s working hard searching for remains so survivors who’ve lost loved ones can have closure.’ ‘This criticism is classless and stupid,’ replied the White House Deputy Press Secretary Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 05:05 1692846030 At least 115 people are dead and hundreds are still missing after deadly wildfires raged through the Hawaiian island of Maui. The fires, the deadliest in the US in the last century, erupted on three of Hawaii’s islands forcing visitors to flee and residents to seek emergency shelter. Search and recovery efforts then began as firefighters worked to contain and put out the fires. On 21 August, President Joe Biden travelled to the Hawaiian island to meet with first responders and survivors as the state begins efforts to rebuild in the wake of the disaster. But a frenzy of questions still remain about how the fires started in the first place and how disasters like this can be prevented in the future. Here’s everything we know about how the Hawaii wildfires started. Dry conditions combined with high winds and droughts contributed to the unprecedented fires Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 04:00 1692842730 Joe Biden told Hawaii that the rest of the United States ‘grieves with you’ as he and the first lady surveyed the devastation of the Maui wildfires earlier this week. Mr Biden, who has been criticised for his administration’s response to the historic blaze, met with first responders in Lahaina before making remarks next to the famed and still-standing banyan tree. ‘The country grieves with you, stands with you and will help do everything to help you rebuild,’ the president said. President praised the residents of Hawaii for showing ‘absolute incredible courage’ in the face of tragedy Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 03:05 1692839160 Maui relief donation scams Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 02:06 1692835710 ‘We are heartsick that we’ve had such loss,’ Hawaii governor Josh Green said during a news conference on Tuesday. Mr Green said he expects the death toll to rise every day as recovery teams and cadaver dogs search the burned area in Lahaina on Maui . Despite the number of deaths increasing, only a few of the 111 have been identified. Part of this reason is due to the state that many bodies were found in after the blazing wildfires moved quickly through Lahania. A mobile morgue unit arrived to help Hawaii officials identify the remains as teams continued to search for more in neighbourhoods that were reduced to ash. Mr Green asked people who are missing loved ones to submit their DNA to help them identify the victims. Maui wildfire that broke out in early August has become of the US’s deadliest disasters Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 01:08 1692831930 A general view shows the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 22, 2023 Louise Boyle 24 August 2023 00:05 1692828210 Just days after fast-moving wildfires broke out in Maui , Hawaii , residents were heartbroken to see the remainder of their homes, businesses and lives turned to ash. Thousands are without shelter and their possessions, as nearly 80 per cent of structures in the town of Lahaina have been damaged or completely destroyed. Even worse are the scores of people forced to mourn the untimely loss of loved ones who were unable to escape the blazes before they engulfed neighbourhoods. But the same people who are trying to grapple with the immense loss and figure out how to move forward, are reportedly being forced to defend what they have left of their land and grief as investors and realtors try to captalise on the disaster. ‘I am so frustrated with inventors and realtors calling the families who lost their home offering to buy their land,’ Lahaina resident Tiare Lawrence said in a video on Kāko’o Haleakalā. Days after wildfires ravaged Maui, investors and realtors tried to take advantage of residents striking fear that towns will lose its history and roots, Ariana Baio reports Louise Boyle 23 August 2023 23:03 1692824670 Maui residents grapple with wildfire devastation Louise Boyle 23 August 2023 22:04 An aerial view of the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. 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