Hawaii Authorities Announce Identity of Final Known Wildfire Victim
“We will continue to work closely with the families to ensure they are updated and supported throughout this process," the Maui Police Department said
YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty
Search and recovery team members check charred buildings and cars in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 18, 2023.Officials in Hawaii have identified the final victim from the 2023 Maui wildfires.
On Friday, the Maui Police Department announced the death of 70-year-old Lydia Coloma from the town of Lahaina, Maui. The department added that Coloma's family has been notified of her death.
“We will continue to work closely with the families to ensure they are updated and supported throughout this process,” the department said in a statement on its website. “We extend our gratitude to the community for their support and understanding during this challenging time.”
The MPD noted that Coloma was the 100th fatality identified from the fire and that they had no more individuals left to identify.
Related: Everything to Know About the 2023 Hawaii Wildfires, Including Ways to Help the Victims
SEBASTIEN VUAGNAT/AFP via Getty Images
Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023.On Aug. 8, 2023, several large wildfires were reported on the west side of the island of Maui which went on to ravage the cities of Lahaina and Kula, burning down dozens of buildings and trapping many people.
A week after the fire, Maui County officials estimated that there were at least 106 fatalities. Hundreds of Lahaina residents were also still missing, prompting Maui County officials to release a list of 388 names of people who lived or worked in the city that had not been accounted for at the end of August.
Related: More Than 100 Confirm Their Safety After Release of Maui Wildfires Missing Persons List
FBI Honolulu Division Special Agent Steven Merrill confirmed in an Aug. 25 press conference that they were able to strike more than a hundred names off the list after people or their relatives came forward saying they were safe.
"We’re very thankful for the people who have reached out by phone or email,” Merrill said at the time. “They were… reported to be safe and sound. Again, we don't take that for granted. We still understand there are hundreds more that we’re still looking for and we will not stop until we find those people.”
More than 270 structures were also impacted in Lahaina town, as shown by U.S. Civil Air Patrol and Maui Fire Department flyovers on Aug. 9 in a press release. The damage was widespread across the West Maui town, the harbor and surrounding areas, leaving hundreds of families displaced.
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Maui County officials filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., which provides electricity services to “95 percent of Hawaii’s 1.4 million residents,” along with Maui Electric Company, Limited, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc., and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.
Documents obtained by PEOPLE of the county's complaint allege that the defendants "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during the forecasted high-fire danger conditions,” and that their inactions to take precautions caused “loss of life, severe injuries, complete destruction of homes and businesses, displacement of thousands of people, and damage to many of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites."
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