The wildfire that swept across Maui a week ago turned one of the nation’s most celebrated island vistas into an ashen moonscape and killed at least 99 people, a number that officials warn could rise by scores as the search continues.
The deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century devoured homes and businesses, blackened cars and left only ruins where thriving neighborhoods once stood. In some places, the flames advanced as fast as a car at highway speed — a mile a minute.
The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Aug. 8 and destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000. When the flames were out and the smoke cleared, all that remained was a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes.
Now begins a long recovery as survivors mourn the dead, search teams look for more victims in the charred debris and families try to begin anew.
The cause of the wildfire is under investigation. Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the flames raced through parched brush covering the island.
The fire was Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. A tsunami in 1946 killed more than 150 on the Big Island.
A 29-year-old Cincinnati woman was awakened by her Apple Watch, which alerted her about an elevated heart rate, prompting her to head to a doctor who notified her of a blood clot.
Cheddar News checks in with a coast-to-coast forecast of the weather.
A quarantine is in place for a section of Broward county in Florida due to a rise in African land snails, which are harmful to agriculture and can eat their way through about 500 plant species.
Climate change is on trial in Montana. In a landmark case, 16 young people are suing the state over effects like smoke, heat, and drought. It's just the first in a series of cases intended to pressure lawmakers into taking action on the environment. Here with more is Cheddar News Senior Reporter Chloe Aiello.
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Members of the United Nations adopted the first-ever treaty to protect marine life in the high seas on Monday, with the U.N.'s chief hailing the historic agreement as giving the ocean “a fighting chance.”
A search is underway for a deep-sea vessel that went missing with five people aboard after it dived toward the deteriorating wreck site of the Titanic ocean liner. What we know so far.
U.S. Hit With Record Breaking Heat Waves
It's only June and already scientists are saying it could be the hottest year on record, as the warming effects of El Niño will continue to strengthen into the fall and winter. Here with more is Cheddar News Senior Reporter Chloe Aiello.
