Hawaii Fires: Deaths in Maui rise to at least 99 as search goes on

Summary:

• The death toll in Maui due to fires has risen to at least 99 as recovery efforts continue.
• Firefighters faced challenges as hydrants ran out of pressure and water supply, leaving civilians to fight the fires themselves.
• The lack of warning from the outdoor emergency alert system and power outages contributed to inadequate alerts for residents.
• Authorities are being questioned about their level of preparedness and the effectiveness of warning systems.
• Some locals view the disaster as a reflection of ongoing frustrations and pain, highlighting political and cultural concerns.

For the firefighters on Maui, it's been a grim and gruelling week. They're still tackling new outbreaks sparked from smoldering wreckage. And asking why exactly was this disaster so deadly? They're not permitted to speak on camera, but tell me that on Tuesday afternoon when fires ripped through this island, when they were trying to save lives, their hydrants first ran out of pressure, then dried up entirely. Civilians were left to fight their own fires.

It's a kind of disconcerting feeling when the fire guys show up and they don't have water. Kyle was trying to put out the flames beside his house, first with a garden hose, then whatever he could find. 'I'm grabbing water out of the base of my kid's basketball hoop. I was grabbing water out of the toilet. I was grabbing water out of my brid of filter in the refrigerator.' The lack of water was compounded by a lack of warning. The island's outdoor emergency alert system stayed silent as the fires hit. This is one of 80 sirens on Maui that didn't sound. Authorities say they instead issued alerts on text, TV and radio, but in Lahaina, the worst affected area, the power was already down. Some people there received no warning at all.

Questions are mounting for the state's governor. We know that Western Maui is designated as a high risk area for wildfires. Were you unprepared? Could we be more prepared? We will always try to be more prepared. Nothing would make us more pleased if we couldn't go back in time and have a lot more protection from sirens. We will do all we can to get more water. We will do all that we can to get more warning for people. Some native Hawaiians see this disaster as a continuation of long standing frustration and pain. Richie lost his home in the fire. 'I've seen the politicians go from Hawaiian natives, people representing the culture and traditions that live here, to people that aren't even from here. They don't even have any roots here. It's got to this point where it's like, who are these people watching us? Or do they even properly care for us?' As a hunt for the missing continues here, so too does a search for answers and accountability.