Maui residents struggle with wildfire devastation

Grabbing a paper bag of food distributed by charity groups, Deborah sat at a table in a plaza near downtown Lahaina. Two small backpacks are all that remain after the Maui wildfires.

"I lost everything. I lost my house and my business. But I want to stay here," the lady, who only gave her first name as Deborah, told Xinhua, with her eyes filled with sorrow. She had lived in Lahaina for 11 years before the destructive wildfires began on Aug. 8, running a small clothing store in rental complex.

The Maui wildfires tore through the historic seaside town of Lahaina, home to about 12,000 people, leaving behind a scene of charred devastation.

Block after block of blackened wreckage and ash. Many shops, apartments, restaurants and art galleries that populated this historic Hawaiian community have burned down to their foundations.

"Now is the moment to find places for everybody because the storm is coming tomorrow night," Deborah told Xinhua. "We never know what will happen at this point. We don't feel safe."

She explained that local residents feel unsafe because of problems with the power lines.

Hawaiian Electric, the biggest local power utility company, was criticized for not shutting down power as strong winds from a passing hurricane sparked flames.

Lahaina residents are also suing the company as they allege Hawaiian Electric's equipment was not strong enough to withstand such fast winds.

According to Maui County, the death toll from the ferocious wildfires now stands at 114 as of Saturday, with 85 percent of the disaster area searched.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said he expects the death toll to keep climbing.

With at least 1,000 people still unaccounted for, recovery teams in Lahaina have been racing against time to cover as much ground as possible before heavy rains move in on Monday.

Another resident of Lahaina, who only gave his first name as Geriberah, is anxious to return home, although he is unsure whether his home still exists. He had lived there for seven years before wildfires engulfed the whole area.

"Everything is gone," Geriberah told Xinhua. He currently shelters in one of the six hotel locations in Maui.

Nearly 3,000 homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged in the fires. State officials said losses were estimated at about 6 billion U.S. dollars.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pledged more than 5.6 million dollars in aid to nearly 2,000 households in Maui to assist survivors of the destructive wildfires.

More than 6,000 survivors have applied for disaster assistance as of Friday, according to FEMA.

Deborah told Xinhua her application is still pending, adding she has to meet FEMA representatives in person to apply for disaster aid.

The Maui wildfires are now among the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century and the worst natural disaster in Hawaii's history.

"We will rebuild Lahaina. It will take years of work and billions of dollars, but we are committed to this effort, and together we will meet this challenge," Governor Green said on Friday.

"We want to stay here. We want this place to be rebuilt in our own way, in the respect of the place," Deborah told Xinhua.