The search for victims isn't even halfway over, but the devastation wrought by Maui's wildfires already defies imagination as scrutiny mounts over the cause – and the officials' response.
At least 111 people – including children – were killed in last week's catastrophe. And the tragedy is expected to intensify, with most of the burn zone still left to search, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.
"No one has ever seen this that is alive today – not this size, not this number, not this volume," Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said on Wednesday (Thursday AEST). "And we're not done."
READ MORE: Fury after powerlines suggested as cause for Maui wildfire disaster
The number of residents still unaccounted for is "probably still over 1,000," Hawaii Governor Josh Green told CNN.
Search crews are expected to keep scouring the charred debris of more than 2,000 burnt homes and businesses for days, the police chief said. Some are working despite immense personal grief.
"Realise that the responders that are going out there are recovering their loved ones and members of their families," he said.
While the cause of the fires hasn't been determined, Hawaiian Electric – the major power company on Maui – is facing scrutiny for not shutting down power lines when high winds created dangerous fire conditions. A company that runs a sensor network on Maui says it detected major utility grid faults hours before fires started.
READ MORE: 'The king of the chat show': Tributes to Michael Parkinson
Hawaiian Electric said publicly in 2019 it would conduct drone surveys to identify areas vulnerable to wildfires and determine how to help keep residents and infrastructure safe.
But between 2019 and 2022, Hawaiian Electric invested less than US$245,000 on wildfire-specific projects, citing regulatory filings, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Hawaiian Electric also didn't seek state approval to raise rates to pay for safety improvements until 2022, and the rate hike has yet to be approved, the Journal reported.
CNN has reached out to Hawaiian Electric for comment.
Fires are still raging
The most destructive blaze, the 2,170-acre Lahaina fire, was 89 per cent contained as of Wednesday night, the County of Maui posted on Facebook.
Several other wildfires are still burning in Maui, including the 440-hectare Olinda fire, which was 85 per cent contained as of Wednesday, and the 80-hectare Kula fire, which was 80 per cent contained, according to Maui County.
"We are spread thin, and we are at multiple locations throughout the island," Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura said. Still, "If something should come, we're ready for it."
READ MORE: Murder investigation launched after Gold Coast man dies in hospital
Questions about sirens
Hawaii has one of the largest siren warning systems in the world, but the 80 alarms on Maui stayed silent as flames spread.
The sirens are primarily used to warn when a tsunami is approaching the area, and if they had sounded, many residents would've gone to the mountainside, where the fire was at its worst, Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya said.
