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Destructive wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui Island have killed at least 93 people, marking the deadliest American wildfire in over 100 years.

The big picture: As the death toll continues to rise with search and rescue efforts still underway, the wildfires are now the deadliest since California’s Camp Fire in 2018, which killed at least 85 people.

• The Maui fire is the deadliest in over 100 years. 1918’s Cloquet fire in northern Minnesota killed 453 people.
• Maui officials said Saturday they were working to distinguish flare-ups across the historic town of Lahaina and parts of Upcountry Maui.
• Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said that only 3% of the search area has been cleared, and that the death toll is sure to grow.
• “We’ve got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles and it is full of our loved ones,” Pelletier said at a press conference Saturday.

What’s happening: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said 2,200 structures were destroyed or damaged in Maui, with 86% of them being residences.

• The damage has approached $6 billion in estimates, Green said.
• Officials said 2,170 acres of Maui have burned as of Saturday.
• An estimated 4,500 residents are seeking shelter, county officials said.

The latest: A Saturday news release from the County of Maui said just two of the victims have been identified so far.

• Identifying discovered remains is especially difficult, Pelletier said, in part because of the condition they are found in.
• “When we find our family and our friends, the remains that we’re finding is through a fire that melted metal,” he said, adding that authorities are using rapid DNA tests to help expedite the process.
• Pelletier also encouraged family members who are missing their loved ones to take a DNA test to help generate a match with any victims.

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