With only a quarter of the Maui wildfire burn area searched, the death toll of what's already the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century still could rise significantly, Hawaii authorities said Monday.
At least 99 people have been confirmed dead from the wildfires, and the number could double over the next 10 days, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told CNN Monday.
"It is a tragedy beyond tragedies," the governor said about the fires that started sweeping parts of the island last week.
Authorities on Tuesday are expected to begin releasing the names of the dead whose families have been notified, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said in a Monday news conference.
Most of the people found dead had been out in the open, in cars or in the water in western Maui's hard-hit Lahaina area, Green told CNN. As more teams and cadaver dogs join the effort, the search is expanding through wiped-out neighborhoods.
It's unclear how many people are unaccounted for, in part because of communication gaps, Green said. "A lot of people had to run and left all they had behind. They don't have their phones -- the phones are incinerated," he said.
As of Monday, around 25% of the fire zone had been searched, Pelletier said, adding that he hopes 85% to 90% will have been covered by the weekend.
"We started with one dog. We are at 20," Pelletier said. "We can only move as fast as we can, but we got the right amount of workers and teams doing it."
Crews are going through what used to be homes, business and historic landmarks burned to the ground after wind-whipped wildfires began spreading erratically August 8, suddenly engulfing homes, forcing harrowing escapes and likely displacing thousands.
"Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here, and nothing can prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that this severe event has taken on them," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters Monday.
The Maui wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than 100 years, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
As firefighting and search efforts continue, here's the latest on what's happening on Maui:
• Calls to provide DNA: Those with missing family members have been urged to contact authorities to provide DNA samples, which would help in the identification process. Only three of those killed could be identified through fingerprints, Pelletier said, stressing the need for the DNA swabs.
• Homes lost: More than 2,200 structures have been destroyed or damaged by the fires -- about 86% of them residential, Green said.
• 'Shelters are starting to empty': More than 400 hotel rooms are available for those displaced, and 1,400 Airbnb units will be ready for them Tuesday, Green said. And,160 people are offering to share their houses, he said. "We've already placed 220 families into housing. So you can see the shelters are starting to empty," Green said.
• Siren system: As questions arise over why Maui's sirens were quiet as fires advanced on homes, Green told CNN that the "sirens were essentially immobilized, we believe... by the extreme heat that came through."
• Power coming back: The fires wiped out both power and communications for thousands. Hawaiian Electric planned to have power restored to 80% of its 12,400 customers who lost power by end of Monday, Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura said.
• Lawsuit over power lines: Hawaiian Electric is facing a lawsuit claiming power lines blown over by high winds helped to cause the destructive Lahaina wildfire, though an official cause has not yet been determined.
• Coast Guard shifts focus: The US Coast Guard in Maui is moving from search and rescue mode to containing potentially hazardous materials in the ocean left behind by the fires. Sonar technology was brought in and a 100-foot boom placed at the mouth of the Lahaina Harbor, the service said.
