The death toll of the destructive wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, has risen as a woman who escaped the fire by running through a burning field died last week after spending more than seven weeks in a hospital’s burn unit.
Laurie Allen was among at least 98 people killed by the Aug. 8 fire that devastated historic Lahaina on the west coast of the island of Maui. The fire was the deadliest in the United States in more than a century and destroyed 2,200 buildings—most of them homes.
“53 Days in Hell” was the first sentence of the announcement by her sister-in-law, Penny Allen Hood. The post reads that Mrs. Allen had died at 3:20 p.m. Oahu Time, almost mirroring the time the fire struck on Aug. 8.
She was surrounded by her husband Perry, brother Kelly, sister-in-law Loretta, brother Dave, and sister Janel.
“Laurie slipped away peacefully,” the announcement reads. “Her heart was tired, and she was ready.”
The fire began when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric power line to fall and ignite dry brush and grass. After being declared contained, the fire flared up and raced through the town.
Mrs. Allen was a physical therapist’s administrative assistant who worked from home. Her husband, an artist, lost a lifetime of work when their home burned, he had shared in previous updates.
Mr. Allen was working 15 miles away from home when the fire hit.
Mrs. Allen fled their home in a car with others, although a fallen, flaming tree blocked their way. She eventually decided that she had to leave the car and dashed 100 yards across a field of burning grass. A policeman and fireman met her on the other side, and she was taken to an emergency shelter.
At the hospital, Mrs. Allen endured infections and a series of operations, including skin grafts, and drifted in and out of consciousness. She had difficulty communicating but, at one point, raised hopes by wiggling her toes when asked. She was being brought to consciousness a few times per day to test her responses.
However, her prognosis worsened in recent days.
“It is with a sad heart that I have to post that the battle to repair and rebuild Laurie’s earthly body will soon be over,” reads a post by Ms. Hood the day before Mrs. Allen’s death.
She was taken off life support on Sept. 29.
The Maui Police Department stated in its latest update on Sept. 15 that the number of fatalities from the disaster was revised downward to 97 from the previously reported 115; 99 percent of the Lahaina disaster area has been searched, according to officials.
The new number was reached based on factors including obtaining DNA profiles during the examination of remains.
The Maui Police Department, in its sixth update on Sept. 29, stated that its missing persons list now stands at 12 individuals, down from 22 last week. Initially, in the immediate aftermath and chaos of the wildfire, more than 1,000 people were reported as missing by family, friends, or acquaintances.
