Maui police confirm Lahaina resident Franklin Trejos as fire victim

Maui police have released the name of a Lahaina resident as being among the 98 people who were killed in the Aug. 8 wildfire.

Franklin Trejos, 68, of Lahaina, was publicly identified today more than a month after he was reported dead by his friend Geoff Bogar, a retired fire captain.

The Associated Press reported that Trejos stayed behind to help others in Lahaina and save Bogar’s house. As the flames closed in, Trejos didn’t escape. Bogar found the remains of his friend, Trejos, who used his body to shield 3-year-old golden retriever, Sam, in the backseat of a car.

On Friday, Laurie Allen became the 98th fatality in the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century, her family confirmed.

Maui County officials have not yet listed Allen among the fatalities and are still reporting the official death toll as 97. Of that total, county officials said, 91 have been publicly identified after notification of next of kin, while two have been identified but their families have not been located or notified.

Click here to view a list of individuals who have been confirmed dead by authorities as a result of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire in Lahaina.