Maui officials have asked relatives to provide DNA samples to help identify victims of the Lahaina wildfires. Time and exposure to the elements, however, can make DNA retrieval from remains difficult.
Fire sites like Lahaina, where residents were allowed in on Aug. 11, 2023, are filled with hazards, both obvious and unseen.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Maui County issued an ‘unsafe water’ alert and urged precautions. Residents can face several toxic hazards from fires, as an expert in the chemical risks from fires explains.
A view of the devastation in Lahaina, Hawaii, following the wildfires in August 2023.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
The region of Maui has been revered by its Indigenous peoples as a sacred place for generations. It is believed to be the home of Kihawahine, a woman who transformed into a goddess.
Professor of Civil, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, Director of the Healthy Plumbing Consortium and Center for Plumbing Safety, Purdue University