The Lahaina Fire Fund was never a registered nonprofit yet collected hundreds of thousands of dollars through online donation sites.

Saiki said organizations could use the fires as a pretext for raising funds for other purposes.

Money raised for direct relief could end up being used for political candidates and activities.

When and how much of that funding will be dispersed remains to be seen.

A government shutdown could yet complicate removal and remediation.

The contaminated waste includes a unique Hawaii building material made of sugarcane fiber and termite poison.

The lawsuit by the estate of Isabella Kalua says the state advocated her adoption by her foster parents despite multiple reports of suspicious injuries by doctors and others.

Local leaders say they were caught by surprise because the scale of Tuesday's fire was unprecedented. But the warning has been sounded for years.

Dana Brown was a motor scooter rider killed following a traffic stop and pursuit in Kapolei.