Hawaii families urged to give DNA samples to help identify wildfire victims

Authorities in Hawaii are urging families in the state to give DNA samples to help identify the victims of the devastating wildfires that ripped through Maui earlier this month. 

Around 1,000 to 1,100 names remain on the FBI’s unaccounted list.

DNA has been collected from only 104 families, said Julie French, who is assisting efforts to identify the remains by DNA analysis. French said they are using rapid DNA technology to help link family members and identify victims of the fires.

“Nearly three-quarters of the remains that have been tested for DNA thus far have generated searchable DNA results,” French said during a press conference Tuesday. “We need family members to come forward and donate their samples so that we can compare them to these DNA profiles we’ve already generated from remains.”

Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin, who is heading up the Family Assistance Center that is collecting the samples, said the number of family members is a “a lot lower” when compared to other major disasters in the country. 

“That’s our concern, that’s why I’m here today, that’s why I’m asking for this help,” Martin said, calling the DNA sample a “simple process.” 

French and Martin assured families the samples are not being entered into any sort of government-run database and are only being used for the “sole purpose of comparison,” adding that individuals will not be asked about their immigration status or citizenship.

Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier echoed these concerns, telling reporters Tuesday his team is facing challenges in establishing a solid list of the missing individuals. He said some people only provided partial names, while other names may be duplicated. 

 “The 1,110 names right now, we know that there’s a margin of that that some of them have first names only and there’s no contact number back,” Pelletier said. “So there was a, ‘John’s missing,’ and when we try to call back who said that, no one is answering. And so we’re trying to scrub this to make it as accurate as we can.”

Pelletier encouraged relatives of those unaccounted for to both give a DNA sample and file a police report with as much detail as possible. 

“Please understand this, once the search is done, I can’t guarantee nor can anyone say that we got everybody,” he continued. “We’re going to do our darndest to get it right and make every effort to do that. 

The Maui Police Department confirmed Tuesday there are 115 confirmed fatalities so far in what is the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.

According to Maui County officials, 100 percent of the single-story residential properties have been searched in the disaster area, while teams now move on to multi-story residential and commercial properties. Around 341 emergency personnel and 50 canines are assisting in the efforts, officials said. 

The wildfire burnt through thousands of acres of land across parts of Maui, especially in the historic town of Lahaina, where thousands of structures were either destroyed or damaged. Shelters are located across the island for those families who are unable to return to their homes. 

The Associated Press contributed.