Nearly seven weeks after the devastating fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, residents were allowed to enter parts of the coastal town of Lahaina for the first time on Monday.
According to Maui County, residents will gradually be allowed to access their properties in the largely burnt-out area.
Until now, only rescue workers and other volunteers were allowed access.
The forest and brush fires broke out on Aug. 8, in several locations on Maui and the neighboring island of Hawaii.
On Maui, about 3,000 buildings were destroyed; the property damage is estimated at more than 5 billion dollars.
Latest reports of the death toll stood at 97.
At times, the authorities had spoken of 115 dead.
The authorities warned returnees of possible dangers in the disaster zone, such as toxins in the ruins from melted lead, asbestos or chemicals.
They were advised to wear protective clothing.
“We really need to just see. We need to see it in person,’’ resident Tawni Katayama told news site Hawaii News Now.
“I think we need a little bit of not just closure, but it’s so unreal to see,’’ she said.
