As rescue efforts continue in Hawaii after the island of Maui was ravaged by fires, the death toll continues to rise. Currently, there has been 96 reported deaths, but officials are saying that they're still in the early stages of their efforts to find and identify those who have died. Among those who died in the wildfires is a family of four who were recently identified by authorities. They were found in their car after trying to escape the fires.
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"Everybody has their story, and everybody lost something. So everybody can be there for each other, and they understand what’s going on in each other’s lives," J.P. Mayoga, a cook at the Westin Maui in Kaanapali, told AP.
Mayoga's home was spared from the fire, but he and his family are all staying at the hotel where he works to stay safe from the toxic debris that is covering Lahaina. Other residents in Lahaina and Kula have been told not to drink tap water and to only take lukewarm showers in a well-ventilated area to avoid exposure to chemical vapor.
Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, is working to make sure that those who have lost their homes have somewhere to go.
Currently, 500 hotel rooms are being made available for those who have been displaced by the fire. An additional 500 rooms will be made available for those working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"Airbnb is going to offer us hundreds of typically short-term rentals in a longer-term capacity, so we can put people into a place for months," Green shared.
Mayor Mitch Roth is urging that people donate to established nonprofits in Hawaii and hold off on donating physical items, as they have nowhere to store them.
