Maui County Officials Urge Families to Provide DNA Samples to Aid in Identification of Wildfire Victims

Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for more than two weeks after devastating wildfires ripped through Maui, Hawaii, officials said Tuesday. The list of unaccounted for individuals is now estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,100, though the number is expected to change as more information is provided.

The Maui County Prosecuting Attorney, Andrew Martin, said that the number of family members who have provided DNA samples is much lower than expected. In order to identify the remains of those discovered in the ashes, emergency leaders are calling on families to provide DNA samples to aid in the identification process.

The FBI’s Honolulu field office, led by Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill, is working to clear people from the list of unaccounted for individuals. Merrill said that the numbers will change every day as more information is provided.

The wildfires in Maui have so far claimed 115 lives, and the urgent efforts to identify the remains of those discovered in the ashes are ongoing. Merrill said that the list of unaccounted for individuals does not necessarily mean that these people are missing.

The Maui County Prosecuting Attorney’s office is asking families to provide DNA samples to aid in the identification process. As of Wednesday morning, only 104 families had submitted DNA samples, limiting the process.