Emergency crews are grappling with the heartbreaking task of sifting through the remains of obliterated homes and cherished landmarks in west Maui, while the death toll from the most fatal wildfire in the United States in over a century continues to climb.

As of Sunday evening, authorities have confirmed a total of 96 casualties, an increase from the previous count of 93. The number of individuals who remain unaccounted for is uncertain, as search teams, aided by cadaver dogs, scour devastated neighborhoods for any traces of remains.

Among the victims was Franklin "Frankie" Trejos, 68, whose selfless efforts to assist others and protect his own home tragically led to his demise. Another victim, Carole Hartley, 60, a longtime resident of Maui, perished while attempting to evacuate, according to her family's identification.

Amid the rising death toll, officials are grappling with inquiries about their readiness for a disaster of this magnitude and their handling of the crisis:

• Despite the rapid spread of the deadly fires into residential areas, the world's largest siren system remained eerily silent. Communication with residents during the emergency was largely reliant on mobile phones and broadcast outlets, a challenge compounded by widespread power and cell service outages.

• Hawaiian Electric, the primary electric provider in the state, faces a lawsuit alleging that high winds causing power lines to topple contributed to the devastating Lahaina wildfire. However, an official cause for the wildfire has yet to be conclusively determined.

• The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency had reported last year that the threat posed by wildfires to human life was minimal. This assessment underestimated the deadly potential of wildfires, even as officials acknowledged a lack of essential resources to mitigate these risks, as evidenced by records.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green underscored the gravity of the situation at a press conference on Saturday night, stating, "This is the most extensive natural catastrophe we have ever faced. The aftermath will also entail an extraordinarily protracted recovery period."

These Maui wildfires have emerged as the deadliest in the United States in more than a century, surpassing the toll of California's Camp Fire in 2018, as reported by the National Fire Protection Association.

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated on Saturday that it was premature to estimate the monetary extent of the damage on Maui, the governor approximated that the losses might reach up to $6 billion.

Firefighters have made headway against the three largest wildfires, yet the destructive blaze in hard-hit Lahaina, encompassing over 2,000 acres, was only 85% contained by Sunday afternoon.