Final victim of Maui fires identified six months later

A previously unaccounted-for woman in Lahaina, Hawaii, was identified Saturday as the last of the Maui fire victims.

Lydia Coloma, 70, was identified by the location where her remains were found instead of DNA evidence. Coloma’s husband, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew also died in the fire. Coloma hailed from the Ilocos Sur province in the Philippines.

The total number of deaths in the various fires on the Maui island reached 100. At the peak of the disaster, there were some 400 people missing.

FILE – Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii officials said Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, that they had identified the last of the 100 known victims of the wildfire that destroyed Lahaina in August of last year. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

Hawaii National Guard completed its last request for assistance on Maui’s behalf on Dec. 31, 2023. All 83 Lahaina Wildfire zones were opened to residents on Dec. 12.

There were 5,928 individuals who lost more than 2,400 homes in the fires, along with other buildings. They still remain unhoused, living in 30 hotels in Maui. As a result, Maui County committed an additional $500 million earlier this month in order to establish more than 3,000 stable housing units with 18-month contracts.

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The fire’s origin is still under investigation. Hawaiian Electric Company said downed power lines generated the initial spark, which resulted in several lawsuits filed against the company. It caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage over the several weeks it burned.