Maui Wildfire Crisis: ONLY Five Bodies Identified As Death Toll Hits The Hundreds

A devastating fire that engulfed parts of Maui has left a trail of destruction in its wake, with the death toll now reaching a staggering 106. According to reports, only five bodies have been identified.

Local authorities are working diligently to identify the victims and provide support to affected families in the tragic incident. It was revealed that the county's water system failed because of the heat from the fire, thereby encouraging its intensity.

Keep on reading to learn more.

The blaze, which ignited about a week ago, swept across residential areas and natural landscapes, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and seek safety, with the total death toll now at 106, according to a statement released.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones," the statement began. "As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time."

The statement divulged that county officials had begun the painstaking process of identifying the victims, utilizing dental records, DNA analysis, and other methods to ensure accurate identification.

In the statement, two victims that have already been identified and their next of kin notified were named; Lahaina residents Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79. It further revealed that three victims have been identified but will be named once their next of kin has been notified.

According to the New York Post, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier has renewed his call for families with missing relatives to come forward with DNA samples, as the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.

The ferocity of the Maui wildfires not only ravaged the land but also exposed a critical vulnerability that exacerbated the disaster: the failure of water systems under the relentless heat, per the New York Times.

As the flames surged and the water demand soared, firefighters found themselves in a dire predicament, with their primary weapon against the inferno compromised.

Two homeowners who fought alongside firefighters to salvage their home, Ross and Gayle Hart, spoke with a news outlet revealing that the water failure cost them the opportunity to win the battle against the fire.

"It just disappeared — like we just ran out of water," Gayle told NBC News. "My husband, I give him credit, he fought the battle until the end."

"Then the fire just grew," Ross told the NY Times about the moment the water seized. "The sparks started blowing over, and we couldn't keep up with our buckets to put out the little spot fires."

"It just beat us in the end. We had to get out," Ross added. "You can't fight fire when you don't have water."

According to calculations meticulously compiled by Karen Clark & Company, a renowned disaster and risk modeling firm, the financial toll of the Lahaina fire has reverberated through the affected communities.

The aftermath of the catastrophic event showed that insured properties worth about $3.2 billion were razed to the ground in the fire, per NYP. The figure did not take into consideration uninsured properties.

Government agencies, disaster response organizations, and community leaders have rallied to offer aid and assistance to those affected by the fire.

President Joe Biden spoke about the incident and plans to mitigate the effects of the natural disaster in a press statement yesterday. He noted that the federal emergency management agency has proceeded to grant victims a one-time loan of $700 to cover the cost of food, water, first aid, and medical supplies.

He also revealed that he'll be visiting Hawaii "as soon as he can" with his wife, Jill, but doesn't want to "disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts."

As the flames of the Maui wildfires died down, a different kind of frustration began to smolder among the residents of the island. According to CBS News, many voiced their concerns over what they perceived as a sluggish federal response to the disaster, leaving them feeling overlooked and neglected in their time of need.

A Maui resident, Kai Lenny, who spoke to the news outlet, noted that he and others took the initiative and got "boots on the ground" instead of waiting for the feds.

"For some of us, we were kind of sitting back, waiting for help to arrive, and then nothing was sort of happening," Lenny said. "We were just in shock."

"I haven't seen one state, one county, one federal official at any one of the donation hubs where people are most suffering," Lenny continued. "As soon as you go to the west side, all of a sudden, you're like, 'Wow, why do I feel like I'm in a third-world country right now?'"

"The Hawaiian people, the locals that have lived here, they just always feel like they're the last to be thought of. And they're, like, the foundation of it," he added.