California woman from El Dorado County is first tourist identified as Maui wildfire fatality

A woman from California’s capital region was the first tourist to be identified as a victim of this month’s deadly Maui wildfires.

Theresa Cook, 72, of Pollock Pines was staying at the Best Western Pioneer Inn in Lahaina. On Sunday, her daughter Melissa Kornweibel, who lives in the Sacramento area, posted to Facebook that her mother had been missing for nine days. She recently updated the post to confirm her mother’s body was recovered and identified.

On Tuesday, the Maui Police Department confirmed Cook was one of eight people confirmed killed in the conflagration, which has charred more than 2,000 acres and remains actively burning. Authorities have identified 43 victims from the blaze, 21 of which have been announced after officials made contact with family.

According to her daughter, Cook was supposed to fly home to Sacramento Aug. 9. The fires started the night of Aug. 8.

Cook had last been seen and heard from before the fire leaving the Best Western traveling south on foot down Wharf Street, her daughter said.

Kornweibel said she contacted the Red Cross, the Maui Police Department, the FBI, six shelters, the U.S. Coast Guard, hospitals and submitted DNA in her attempts to search for her mother.

Maui authorities are asking people with missing relatives to submit DNA to assist in identifying fire victims.

At least 115 victims are confirmed dead, making it the deadliest wildfire disaster in modern American history. Maui police said 1,000 to 1,100 people remain unaccounted for following the wildfires, authorities said.

This story was originally published August 23, 2023 at 10:26 AM.