First victims from deadly Maui wildfires are formally named

First victims from deadly wildfires that torched Lahaina are officially named as death toll reaches 106 and authorities say it will take days to find 1,300 still missing as harrowing rescue missions continues through town’s ashes

• Lahaina residents Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, were named
• Efforts continue to identify other victims as more are expected to be found 

The first victims of the deadly Maui wildfires that torched the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina have been formally named as the death toll rose to 106.

As harrowing search and rescue missions continue through the town’s ashes, authorities say it will take days to find the 1,300 people still missing.

Maui County officials said Lahaina residents Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, were among the dead, the first people formally named.

A further three victims have been identified, the county wrote, and their names will be released once the county has identified their next of kin.

Meanwhile, a mobile morgue unit arrived on Tuesday to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify remains, as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods that were reduced to ash by the deadly inferno last week.

The first victims of the deadly wildfires that torched the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina have been formally named as the death toll rose to 106

As harrowing search and rescue missions continue through the town’s ashes (pictured), authorities say it will take days to find the 1,300 people still missing

Fire damage is shown in the Wahikuli Terrace neighborhood in the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, August 15

A mobile morgue unit arrived on Tuesday to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify remains, as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods that were reduced to ash by the deadly inferno last week

Maui County officials said Lahaina residents Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc (pictured centre), 79, were among the dead, the first people formally named

Family members described Jantoc as an easygoing musician who once toured on the mainland with the likes of Carlos Santana before settling in Maui.

READ MORE: Cadaver dogs and rescue teams sift through the ashes of incinerated Lahaina as desperate search for hundreds still missing continues amid harrowing scenes of human catastrophe 

 

His family said they started to panic when they could not reach the 79-year-old in the days after the fire. Keshia Alakai, his granddaughter, said she ‘had a bad feeling.’

On Saturday, two police officers visited the family to say that Jantoc’s body had been found in his home. Several other residents of the senior living complex he called home have also been reported missing by relatives.

Shari Jantoc, his daughter-in-law, told the New York Times. ‘I’m hoping he was asleep. I hope to God he did not suffer.’

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said: ‘We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones.

‘As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time.’

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for response.

‘It’s going to be a very, very difficult mission,’ Greene said. ‘And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims.’

Identifying victims is proving agonizingly slow, given the extreme temperatures of the fires that scorched Lahaina. The island’s police chief has said that many of the bodies are so badly charred that they are unrecognizable.

Officials have said the flames raced as fast as a mile every minute (60mph) in one area, fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane.

John Pelletier, the chief of Maui police, said that the heat was so intense cars were reduced to pools of burnt metal on the road.

Other victims of the fire have been named by other sources. 

One of the first people confirmed to be among the dead was Carole Hartley, 60, from Mobile, Alabama, who had lived in Lahaina for the last 36 years. She died after becoming separated from her partner Charles Paxton, who managed to escape.

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster lands at the Kahului Airport (OGG) with personnel and equipment in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Kahului, Hawaii on August 15

Vehicles depart the Kahului Airport (OGG) carrying military personnel after a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo plane landed during the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Kahului

Disaster Portable Morgue Unit (DPMU) equipment is unloaded from shipping containers adjacent to the Maui Police Forensic Facility where human remains are stored in the aftermath of the Maui wildfire in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Wailuku, Hawaii on August 15

‘The fire came fast and they were loading a truck when the truck caught fire and exploded,’ a friend wrote on Facebook.

‘Charles told Carole to run, run, run, and she did. It was noisy from the wind and fires and they got separated,’ the post said.

‘Charles was found safe at a shelter and is now safe with friends in Wailuku.’

Around 80 percent of Lahaina – which was home to about 12,000 residents – was destroyed in the fire. So far, around 25 percent of the area has been searched for human remains, officials have said.

Pelletier said on Monday that additional cadaver dogs have been brought in from California to assist with the on-going search efforts.

A mobile refrigerated morgue was moved to a parking lot near Lahaina on Sunday by the FBI to cope with the expected influx of bodies.

With 1,300 people still missing, Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, has said officials expect to find between 10 to 20 victims per day.

‘We are prepared for many tragic stories,’ Green told CBS Mornings. 

‘They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess [the total toll], really,’ he said.

When asked by Hawaii News Now if children are among the missing, Green said Tuesday: ‘Tragically, yes. … When the bodies are smaller, we know it’s a child.’

He described some of the sites being searched as ‘too much to share or see from just a human perspective.’

Another complicating factor, Green said, is that storms with rain and high winds were forecast for the weekend. 

Officials are mulling whether to ‘preemptively power down or not for a short period of time, because right now all of the infrastructure is weaker.’

Meanwhile, residents have criticised tourists who continue to come to the Island.

Speaking to the BBC, one woman said: ‘The same waters that our people just died in three days ago are the same waters the very next day these visitors – tourists – were swimming in.’

Volunteers unload donations at a distribution center for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park in Napili-Honokowai, west of Maui, Hawaii, August 14

A group of volunteers who sailed from Maalaea Bay, Maui, form an assembly line on Kaanapali Beach on Saturday, August 12

A protester holds a poster reading ‘Why no Sirens?’ as people demonstrate in front the Maui County Building where officials held a press conference

A week after the fires started, some residents still had with intermittent power, unreliable cellphone service and uncertainty over where to get assistance.

Some people walked periodically to a seawall, where phone connections were strongest, to make calls. Flying low off the coast, a single-prop airplane used a loudspeaker to blare information about where to get water and supplies.

Relatives of those missing were being asked to provide DNA samples.

One of the few victim’s identified was Carole. Her sister, Donna Hartley, said she was eagerly looking forward to her impending retirement.

‘Her birthday was August 28, and she was going to be 61 years old,’ Donna Hartley said. ‘She kept telling me as of late: one more year sister, and I’m retiring.’

Donna, who lives in Alabama, said she has struggled to sleep ever since and has been having nightmares. 

‘I have dreams my sister is on fire,’ she said. ‘She had a heart of gold and she cared about other people more than herself. She was always that way.’

Hartley is remembered by her friends and family in Mobile County and beyond for her inspiring spirit.

‘You lived life as a force of full creative expression, feistiness and deep love for people and animals,’ Jenna Mahina wrote on Facebook.

Another fondly-remembered victim was Franklin ‘Frankie’ Trejos, 68, who was described as a hero who died trying to help others and save his home. 

He was found in the back of his car, his body covering that of his friend’s golden retriever, Sam, who he was trying to save.

Kika Perez Grant, his niece, told CNN they had received a call from Trejos’s roommate saying he was missing.

‘We kept hope alive but then his roommate called us again a few hours later to tell us he had found Uncle Frankie’s remains,’ she said.

Trejos and his roommate – retired fire captain Geoff Bogar – tried to save their property at first, but then decided to evacuate when they realized it was impossible.

‘They both got in their own cars and tried to evacuate,’ she said.

‘For some reason, his roommate’s car didn’t start, so he crawled around until someone found him. He got badly burned.’

Trejos was born in Costa Rica but moved to the United States at a young age, his niece said, and had lived in Lahaina for the last 30 years.

‘Uncle Frankie was a kind man, a nature lover, an animal lover and he loved his friends and his families with this whole heart,’ Perez Grant said. ‘He loved adventure and was a free spirit. 

She told ABC News: ‘This has been a tragic and heartbreaking loss for our family. To know that he must have been so scared or to imagine him suffering, there are no words.’

Bogar’s wife, Shannon Weber-Bogar, said: ‘God took a really good man.’

Clyde Wakida’s death was announced by his wife of 46 years, Penny.

Clyde Wakida is pictured with his wife of 46 years, Penny. He died trying to save the house they built together 35 years ago

Carole Hartley, 60, from Alabama, was among the first known to have died in the wildfires

Hartley’s sister Donna said she was eagerly anticipating her retirement next year

She said he died after remaining at the home they built together 35 years ago, and stayed in a desperate bid to save it.

She was contacted by officials to say they found human remains on the property, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Penny’s daughter, Lexa Hanohano, and Clyde’s sisters, Avis Wakida and Teri Young, are among people who provided DNA samples to help with the identification of remains.

‘He didn’t want to evacuate,’ said Penny.

‘He refused to come with me. He thought he could save the house. We know he’s dead.’

A family of four – Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, Salote Takafua, and her son, Tony Takafua – died while attempting to flee from the flames.

Their remains were found on Thursday in a burned car near their home.

‘The magnitude of our grief is indescribable,’ read a statement from family members.

Lylas Kanemoto, who knew the Tone family, confirmed the devastating news on Sunday.

‘At least we have closure for them, but the loss and heartbreak is unbearable for many. We as a community has to just embrace each other and support our families, friends, and our community to our best of our abilities,’ said Kanemoto.

Franklin ‘Frankie’ Trejos, 68, died trying to shelter Sam, a golden retriever. Both was found dead inside a car

Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone were found dead in their car Thursday as they tried to escape the devastating blaze that destroyed virtually all of Lahaina

Also killed were Faaso and Malui’s adult daughter Salote Takafua and her son Tony

The remaining family of the deceased wrote that the ‘magnitude’ of their grief ‘is indescribable’ following the tragedy

Kanemoto is still awaiting news on her cousin, Glen Yoshino, who is missing.

‘I’m afraid he is gone because we have not heard from him and he would’ve found a way to contact family,’ Kanemoto said.

‘We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.’

Stories of horrifying escapes continued to emerge, as did more testimony about the lack of official warning of the fast-moving blaze.

Annelise Cochran told AFP she had been reassured when officials said a small blaze in the hills had been contained last Tuesday morning.

But it had suddenly, and dramatically, flared.

‘We saw smoke billowing and the blue sky had turned a dark shade of brown and the wind was whipping at 80-plus miles an hour. It was very, very fast; shocking to see,’ the 30-year-old said.

‘We saw flames, and we realized it was coming right for us,’ she said, adding no evacuation order had been issued.

After trying to flee by car only to find her way blocked by vehicles abandoned by their terrified drivers, she decided the ocean offered her only escape.

‘We fully submerged ourselves into the water to get our faces down as much as we could, so that we were breathing the air that was only on the surface of the water, because the air got very acrid and horrible to breathe,’ Cochran said.

It was hours before she was plucked from the water.

Charred remains of a burned neighbourhood is seen in the aftermath of a wildfire, in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 14

Burned palm trees and destroyed cars and buildings in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11

The photo taken with a mobile phone on August 14 shows a vehicle destroyed in a wildfire in Lahaina town, Maui Island

Residents desperate to get back to check on the homes they fled have expressed frustration at bans that have prevented people from getting into Lahaina.

Officials warned of the dangers of unstable buildings and potential airborne toxic chemicals in the area, and said on Monday that had been one arrest for trespassing.

A police placard system that was supposed to let people back into Lahaina descended into chaos Monday, when it was suspended an hour after starting.

‘The miscommunication is abysmal – people are very angry and frustrated, and this is getting worse,’ said Stephen Van Bueren, 42, a local church pastor who waited for more than an hour to get a placard, without success.

Questions are being asked about authorities’ preparedness and response to the catastrophe.

Some fire hydrants ran dry in the early stages of the wildfire, and multiple warning systems either failed or were not activated.

The local power utility has also faced criticism for not shutting off power as strong winds buffeted a parched area under high risk for fire. It’s not clear whether the utility’s equipment played any role in igniting the flames.

Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc. President and CEO Shelee Kimura said many factors go into a decision to cut power, including the impact on people who rely on specialized medical equipment and concerns that a shutoff in the fire area would have knocked out water pumps.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the company, the state’s biggest power firm, claiming the company should have shut off its power lines.

As of Tuesday evening, the Lahaina has been 85% contained, according to the county. Another blaze known as the Upcountry fire was 75% contained.

The Lahaina fire caused about $3.2 billion in insured property losses, according to calculations by Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company. That doesn’t count damage to uninsured property. 

The firm said more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by flames, with about 3,000 damaged by fire or smoke or both.

Even where the flames have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes. That has left many unable to return home.

Victoria Martocci, who lost her scuba business and a boat, planned to travel to her storage unit in Kahalui from her Kahana home Wednesday to stash documents and keepsakes given to her by a friend whose house burned. 

‘These are things she grabbed, the only things she could grab, and I want to keep them safe for her,’ Martocci said.

The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Tuesday, August 8

People watch as smoke and flames fill the air from raging wildfires on Front Street in downtown Lahaina, August 8

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he and first lady Jill Biden would visit Hawaii ‘as soon as we can’ but he doesn’t want his presence to interrupt recovery and cleanup efforts. 

During a stop in Milwaukee to highlight his economic agenda, Biden pledged that ‘every asset they need will be there for them.’

Lahaina resident Kekoa Lansford helped rescue people as the flames swept through town. Now he is collecting stories from survivors, hoping to create a timeline of what happened. He has 170 emails so far.

The scene was haunting. ‘Horrible, horrible,’ Lansford said Tuesday. ‘You ever seen hell in the movies? That is what it looked like. Fire everywhere. Dead people.’

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