Help is desperately needed in Hawaii after the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years burned out of control across the Big Island and Maui.
Strong winds associated with Hurricane Dora fanned the flames, knocking out local communication and destroying thousands of homes and historic buildings, including Lahaina, the popular Maui tourist destination and former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Thousands have evacuated or been displaced and more than 100 people have been killed, including seniors and children. Hundreds are still missing. Search and recovery efforts are still ongoing, but local officials expect the death toll will likely rise as crews sift through more of the rubble.
Click HERE to support relief efforts. Impact Your World will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates with more ways to help.
Help contacting missing loved ones
If you need help locating a missing person due to the wildfires, the American Red Cross recommends the following:
- Please call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and select Option 4. Follow the voice prompts for “Hawaii Wildfires.”
- Provide as much detail as possible to assist in potentially locating your missing loved one.
- Please note call volume is high and callers may experience longer than normal wait times.
If you are in the disaster area, you can let others know you are OK by making yourself “I’m safe” in the Red Cross Emergency app.