MAUI, HAWAI: As teams laboriously search the ashes in the seaside town of Lahaina for the remains of scores of victims from the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier repeatedly begged for "patience, prayers, and perseverance."
He has previously delivered a similar message in the wake of another American tragedy, the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting.
The incident had left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured when a shooter with a military-style rifle opened fire from the windows of a high-rise hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Those killed and injured were among the crowd of 22,000 people attending an outdoor country music festival.
At the time, Pelletier was serving as the city's police captain. Like the Maui wildfire, the violence rocked the city to its very core.
Who is John Pelletier?
Pelletier was raised in Buffalo, New York, and has worked in law enforcement for over 20 years.
Pelletier has been in the news recently after the Maui wildfires burnt through thousands of acres of land. The Hawaiian disaster has surpassed the California Camp Fire in 2018, in terms of the death toll, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in US history,
It has only been a little over 600 days since Pelletier took over as chief of the Maui Police Department.
Pelletier admitted in January that after only a year on the job, he has learned a lot about Hawaii's people as well as its police force, as reported by Sun.
He claimed that serving in the Aloha State is distinct, according to Hawaii News Now
He said, “I’ve learned that coconut wireless is real. I had no idea that it existed. We have incredible people who day in and day out, do work that really is some of the best public safety work in the nation, if not the world."
The Maui police chief broke down in tears on Sunday, August 13, while explaining to reporters that the fire had melted metal, making it very difficult to identify any remains.
He said, "When we find these... you know, our family and our friends, the remains we're finding is through a fire that melted metal. We have to do rapid DNA to identify them."
He added, "We got to do it quick, and we got to do it right." He continued: "So when we pick up the remains, and they fall apart..."
The captain continued, "And so you have 200 people running through the scene yesterday, that's what you're stepping on. I don't know how much more you want me to describe it. Give us a little bit of time to contain that. None of us really know the size of it yet."
How many are dead and missing in Maui?
The death toll in the Maui wildfires has risen to 106, Maui County officials said Tuesday, August 15, as per CNN. Authorities fear that the number could double next week.
Those waiting to hear about their loved ones have been asked to provide DNA swabs. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has confirmed that a genetics team will come in to help identify victims.
As firefighters continue their round-the-clock efforts, about 1,000 people are still unaccounted for.
Who perished in the Maui wildfires?
Authorities have confirmed that Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both of Lahaina, were among those killed.
More victims are expected to be identified in the coming days. One hundred six human remains have been found so far and are waiting to be identified.
