Hawaii Governor Josh Green has informed CNN in an interview that the death toll resulting from the wildfires on Maui last month has been revised to 97, with 31 individuals still reported as missing.
Previously, Governor Green had reported a death toll of 115 and 66 people missing.
Explaining the reduction in the death toll, Governor Green stated, "The death toll dropped because we have Department of Defense anthropologists who are able to do a lot more advanced genetics. They were able to make sure we weren't tragically commingling any of the people we lost."
The wildfires, which occurred on August 8, rapidly spread through the grasslands at the base of a volcano, extending into the popular tourist destination of Lahaina. The destructive fires resulted in the destruction or damage of approximately 2,200 buildings.