The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has confirmed five members of the faith died from the deadly wildfires that devastated the island of Maui last week. No names have been released at this time, nor the nature of the deaths. However, four of the five deaths were confirmed to be from the same family.
By Sunday, the death toll had risen to 96 and is expected to climb. Local law enforcement and other officials encourage those looking for relatives to take DNA tests available at local support centers. “The remains we’re finding is through a fire that melted metal,” Chief John Pelletier of the Maui Police Department told the New York Times. “We have to do rapid DNA to identify.”
The inferno, which began as scattered brush fires, quickly grew thanks to unusual cyclone-like winds. It is the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history and the deadliest wildfire in the United States since 1918.
Photo by Kit Z. Furukawa.Latter-day Saints in the area are providing humanitarian aid and assisting multiple charitable organizations. Two meetinghouses in the Kahului and Kahului West Stakes are serving as temporary shelters with water, hot meals, and other necessities — all available for anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. Church members are also delivering baby formula, canned food, propane, gasoline, and other critical supplies to people in need. Earlier reports stated over 500 members of the Church needed to be evacuated from affected areas.
Photo by Jessica Amundson Heinze
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kahului is open to those displaced by the Lahaina Fire. Photo by Richard Olsten.Latter-day Saint families are opening their homes to people displaced by the wildfires. In addition, Church leaders are actively working to secure alternate shelter options. In the fire zones in Lahaina, two meetinghouses appear to be undamaged.
Supplies from the bishops’ storehouse in Honolulu are en route to Maui. Additional support from Church headquarters will arrive in the coming days.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
