Firefighters from Indiana are flying to Hawaii to assist with search and rescue efforts resulting from the wildfires in Maui. FEMA activated the 70-member Task Force 1 team Wednesday, along with 22 other teams throughout the U.S. The team deployed two members to Maui earlier this week.
“Search & Rescue personnel and canines from the FEMA National Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System are on the ground working closely with local responders in Maui to provide search operations in the affected areas of West Maui in an effort to provide accountability and structural assessment,” according to a statement from FEMA.
There are at least 110 confirmed dead in Hawaii so far, with more than 1,000 residents unaccounted for. The Lahaina wildfire that spread with the dry conditions and strong winds is now considered the deadliest the U.S. experienced in a century.
The Indiana team is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in the nation. FEMA has been assisting in relief efforts since Aug. 11.
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