At least 55 people have been killed by devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The largest of the fires destroyed 80% of the historic tourist town of Lahaina — and some residents told CBS News they never received an evacuation alert.
Officials warned the death toll will likely continue to go up, with multiple fires on the island still burning and teams spreading out to search charred areas.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said large swaths of Lahaina had been completely destroyed, with much of the city without water or power. Police have urged people to stay away from Lahaina"due to biohazard and safety concerns" and said arrangements would be made to let residents back into the area at a later date.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Hawaii on Friday to meet with state and local officials about ongoing recovery efforts, the agency announced Thursday evening.The Coast Guard said Thursday it had rescued 17 people from the water and located 40 survivors ashore. The Coast Guard currently has no reports of missing persons in the water.
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