California woman among those killed in devastating Maui fires
A 72-year-old California woman is among those who died in the wildfires that scorched swaths of Maui and devastated the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina earlier this month, authorities said.
Theresa “Terri” Cook, who lived in the small community of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County, was staying in Lahaina when the fires broke out Aug. 8, according to her family. She planned to fly back home to the Sacramento area the next day, but went missing amid the chaos after being evacuated from her hotel.
The Maui Police Department on Tuesday identified Cook as one of the fire victims. She is so far the only known victim from California.
“Very outgoing and carefree, she was visiting Lahaina for some solitude and rest,” her family wrote on a GoFundMe page.
After Maui County released the names of nearly 400 people still missing after the deadly wildfire, scores of people called in to say they’re OK.
As soon as they heard about the fires, her children, Melissa Kornweibel and Adam Cook, desperately searched for information that their mother was alive.
They contacted the Red Cross, Maui police and the Coast Guard, as well as posted in various Facebook groups, where dozens of others have also uploaded photos of missing loved ones, according to the family GoFundMe page.
On Sunday, officials confirmed to Kornweibel that her mother had been found and identified as one of the fire victims.
“With this news comes loss, heartache and responsibilities,” her family wrote.
Cook was an “amazing” grandmother of four who put others’ needs before her own, according to her family.
The Lahaina fire in West Maui ignited as firefighters focused on the Upcountry fire. What happened next — the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century — left the historic town in ashes.
She is one of at least 115 people who died in the Maui wildfires, authorities said. Officials have so far publicly identified 35 victims and notified their families. Eleven additional victims have been identified, but family members have not yet been reached, authorities said in a release.
Maui County this week released a list of 388 names of people who remain missing.
More than 2,700 people displaced by the fires are sheltering in 11 hotels across Maui, authorities said.
Three ongoing fires in Maui, including the Lahaina blaze that has scorched an estimated 2,170 acres, were between 85% and 90% contained as of Wednesday.
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