As the residents of Hawaii mourn those killed in the fierce wildfires, officials have warned that the full human and environmental toll is still unknown and that recovery has just begun.

According to an update from Maui County late Sunday, twenty dogs and dozens of people will navigate through neighborhoods turned to ash, searching for the dead in burned-out cars and homes. With the death toll rising to 96, this is already the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century, and two fires have not yet been fully contained, including the fires that devastated the historic town of Lahaina.

Even as the fire recedes, authorities warned of the potential for toxic byproducts, including in drinking water, after the flames released poisonous fumes, and many people simply have no home to return to, so authorities plan to shelter them in hotels and vacation rentals.

The fire that swept through the town of Lahaina, which has stood for centuries, on Tuesday destroyed almost every building in the town of 13,000 residents, leaving a network of gray ruins wedged between the blue ocean and lush green hills. This fire is 85% contained, according to the county, while the Upcountry fire is 60% contained.

Josh Green, holding a map of the area titled "Damaged Buildings in the Lahaina Area from the Maui Wildfires," said, "Very little remains."

Maui Police Chief John Pelicier said Saturday that crews, including a number of dogs, have covered only 3% of the search area.

Green explained, "When crews encounter scenes of bodies in homes or businesses, it is extremely difficult for them to identify them, and ultimately they share that there have been more fatalities, expressing his expectation of rising numbers."

The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, and Green said that authorities will also review their response, noting that one fire was thought to have ignited but flared up again later.

In the hours leading up to the outbreak of a massive fire in Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate the sirens that would have warned all residents and instead relied on social media posts. Power outages and cell service disruptions also hindered communication efforts.

Due to a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, flames raced across the island of Maui through the dry brush, moving at a speed of one mile (1.6 kilometers) every minute, Green reported, stating, "With these kinds of winds and temperatures reaching 1000 degrees, it will be easy to understand all the images that you will ultimately see."

The fires are the worst natural disaster in Hawaii in decades, surpassing the 1960 tsunami that claimed 61 lives. They also exceeded the 2018 fire in Northern California that left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Meanwhile, Hawaii officials have urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui as many hotels prepare to shelter evacuees and first responders.

Green stated that 500 hotel rooms will be provided for displaced locals, and an additional 500 rooms will be allocated for staff from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, affirming that some hotels will continue their normal operations to help sustain jobs and support the local economy.