Staff Report

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Task Force One will be headed to Maui to help in the aftermath of deadly wildfires that swept the Hawaiian island Aug. 8. The death toll as of Thursday stood at 106.

The 70 first responders could be deployed for search and recovery efforts for up to two weeks, according to central Indiana media reports. They’re taking tents and medical and technical equipment to the burn zone, as well as a lot of experience.

Indiana Task Force One, formed in 1992, is Indiana’s premier rescue task force and is one of 28 trained urban search and rescue teams in the U.S. sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to information from the state.

The task force has been deployed to many disasters over the years, including the bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 and, more recently, the condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla., in 2021. Closer to home, members have responded to tornado destruction in Lafayette, Evansville, Henryville and Indianapolis.