The death toll from the Hawaiian wildfires stood at 55 on Friday afternoon, but it's expected to multiply in the near future. The reason? Authorities have not yet been able to search inside the scores of burned-out buildings. "We're waiting for FEMA to help with that search, as they are equipped to handle the hazmat conditions of the buildings that have that have been burned," says the mayor of hard-hit Maui, Richard Blissen, per CNN.
- Lahaina: Evacuated residents of the devastated town of Lahaina on Maui will soon be allowed to return to check on their property, said Gov. Josh Green, per the New York Times. "Everyone please brace themselves as they go back," he warned, adding that the town is "gone." Green toured the area Friday, per Hawaii News Now. "When you see the full extent of the destruction in Lahaina, it will shock you," he says. "It does appear like a bomb and fire went off, if I may. And all of the buildings virtually are gonna have to be rebuilt. It will be a new Lahaina that Maui builds in its own image, with its own values."