The wildfire that swept across Maui a week ago turned one of the nation’s most celebrated island vistas into an ashen moonscape and killed at least 99 people, a number that officials warn could rise by scores as the search continues.

The deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century devoured homes and businesses, blackened cars and left only ruins where thriving neighborhoods once stood. In some places, the flames advanced as fast as a car at highway speed — a mile a minute.

The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Aug. 8 and destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000. When the flames were out and the smoke cleared, all that remained was a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes.

Now begins a long recovery as survivors mourn the dead, search teams look for more victims in the charred debris and families try to begin anew.

The cause of the wildfire is under investigation. Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the flames raced through parched brush covering the island.

The fire was Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. A tsunami in 1946 killed more than 150 on the Big Island.

Share:
More In Science
Doctors Find Spider Inside Woman's Ear
Doctors in Taiwan made a surprising discovery when a 64-year-old female patient complained of a clicking and rustling sound in her ear, which turned out to be a spider.
What DNA Tests Can Reveal About You
Many DNA tests on the market offer a glimpse into what makes your individual character, including who your ancestors are and some can even analyze your risk for developing certain diseases. Cheddar News spoke with Sam Beeler, chief strategy officer with Nebula Genomics; Eleanor Griffith, a certified genetic counselor; and Dr. Neil Iyengar, a medical oncologist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center about the process involved in checking DNA and its effectiveness.
Study: Hot Yoga Eased Depression Symptoms
A new study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that involved 80 participants with moderate to severe depression found hot yoga could have some positive impacts on mental health.
Load More