Hawaii residents reel from deadly wildfires as authorities drag feet in relief

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Days after the deadliest wildfire in U.S. modern history razed Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii's Maui Island, more local residents complained about slow progress in the government's relief work.

Cassidy and Alexa Kailieha, residents from another tourist island Oahu, said their family in Lahaina had suffered great losses and lived without food since the wildfires crept on the island earlier this month. They accused government agencies of blocking roads leading to the town, preventing aid and donations from getting to the devastated area.

"They're just standing there blocking the road. They haven't passed out one simple water bottle, a plate of lunch, nothing," Alexa told NBC. "They're just standing there and letting our families starve and not letting us help them."

The Kailiehas said they knew of at least six families whose homes burned down in the horrifying blaze, and those survivors cannot leave there because of a shortage of gasoline. If they leave, the pair went on, they won't be able to go back given the road closures enforced by the government.

Maui residents also disclosed that private volunteers served as far more of a lifeline than federal and local agencies, according to The New York Times.

Hundreds of evacuees from the wildfires "have been searching desperately for gasoline, phone reception and hot food, especially after power outages rendered refrigerators and microwaves useless," the report said. "In many cases, they have leaned on church groups, community organizations and volunteers to track down missing relatives, get rides to shelters or access supplies brought in on private boats and airplanes."

Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, visited the flatted Lahaina on Saturday, vowing to bring in more teams to help with rescue efforts. However, local residents found that the response still failed to meet their overwhelming, urgent needs.

"If something ever happened here, we're 72 hours away from help ever coming," said Chief John Pelletier of the Maui Police Department. "And I think we proved that that's probably pretty accurate."

The police chief said only 3 percent of the area devastated by wildfires has been searched so far, and the death toll could rise into the hundreds as the search continues.