Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please follow our updates here. The death toll in the Maui wildfires rose Friday to 67, as some residents were allowed to return to West Maui after the disaster. But a fire Friday in West Maui prompted the evacuation of residents of Kaanapali, which has a population of around 1,100, Maui County police said Friday evening. Three wildfires have been burning on Maui. Containment of the Lahaina fire, which swept into the town of the same name and caused widespread damage, increased slightly to 85%, the County of Maui said. Containment of the Pulehu/Kihei fire was 80%, and the Upcountry Maui fire is 50 percent contained. Maui’s warning sirens were not activated as deadly wildfires approached the town of Lahaina, emergency officials said. Three other alert systems were implemented, according to Hawaii Emergency Services Administration. Some survivors believe they were not sufficiently warned through emergency alerts as the crisis deepened, adding to the confusion in what has become one of Hawaii’s deadliest natural disasters. Some residents were able to survey the damage, and what little has been left of their homes. “It’s a war zone,” said Kimo Kirkman, who went back to get the remains of their two dogs and cat. Others are still in the dark about whether their relatives and loved ones are alive or dead. There is no official number of missing known, and the death toll could go up as more remains are found in the wreckage of the town. Gov. Josh Green and other officials on Saturday are expected to provide another update into the crisis, which he has said will most likely be the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s state history (it became a state in 1959).
Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please follow our updates here. The death toll in the Maui wildfires rose Friday to 67, as some residents were allowed to return to West Maui after the disaster. But a fire Friday in West Maui prompted the evacuation of residents of Kaanapali, which has a population of around 1,100, Maui County police said Friday evening. Three wildfires have been burning on Maui. Containment of the Lahaina fire, which swept into the town of the same name and caused widespread damage, increased slightly to 85%, the County of Maui said. Containment of the Pulehu/Kihei fire was 80%, and the Upcountry Maui fire is 50 percent contained. Maui’s warning sirens were not activated as deadly wildfires approached the town of Lahaina, emergency officials said. Three other alert systems were implemented, according to Hawaii Emergency Services Administration. Some survivors believe they were not sufficiently warned through emergency alerts as the crisis deepened, adding to the confusion in what has become one of Hawaii’s deadliest natural disasters. Some residents were able to survey the damage, and what little has been left of their homes. “It’s a war zone,” said Kimo Kirkman, who went back to get the remains of their two dogs and cat. Others are still in the dark about whether their relatives and loved ones are alive or dead. There is no official number of missing known, and the death toll could go up as more remains are found in the wreckage of the town. Gov. Josh Green and other officials on Saturday are expected to provide another update into the crisis, which he has said will most likely be the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s state history (it became a state in 1959). What to know about the wildfires Maui's warning sirens were not activated as deadly wildfires approached the town of Lahaina, emergency officials said. Officials have confirmed 67 deaths in the wildfires that tore through Maui, but Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen warned the death toll "could go up." Six fires are burning in Maui and the Big Island, but officials said the Lahaina fire is now 85% contained. Many of the town's historic landmarks are lost. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the fires are likely to be the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. NBC News' Miguel Almaguer, Dana Griffin and Steve Patterson are reporting from Maui.