Fewer people died in last month’s Maui wildfires than previously believed, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) announced Friday.
The death toll was revised to 97 from 115 after federal fire investigators assisted local authorities in identifying remains, Green said.
“Thank God, fewer people passed away,” he said in a video message shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
That toll could still rise again, however. Green said there are currently 31 open cases that are being investigated — and only 74 of the dead have been identified.
The wildfire was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. High winds quickly entrapped and enveloped the town of Lahaina on Maui’s west coast, effectively completely destroying it. The blaze caused about $5.5 billion in damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated.
Not to downplay that number of dead, but in one way, this is good news because initially the number was estimated to be over 1000.