Cadaver dogs are now being used in search and rescue as Hawaii suffers from wildfires. Here's why Maui officials have faith in these rescue dogs. 

How Cadaver Dogs Help in Hawaii Wildfires

(Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a Maui County firefighter extinguishes a fire near homes during the upcountry Maui wildfires in Kula, Hawaii on August 13, 2023. The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, August 13.

CNN reported Maui's latest helping hand in searching through the wreckage are detection dogs (aka cadaver dogs). 

As of writing, the wildfires in Hawaii Island already took the lives of 96 people. The County of Maui only identified two of the dead bodies as of Saturday, Aug. 12. 
These forest fires are considered to be the deadliest natural catastrophe that ever happened in the U.S. state. 

The National Fire Protection Association even said that Hawaii's wildfires are among the deadliest forest fires in the United States in over 100 years. 

This is Maui officials need all the help they can get, even if it's from animals. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Urban Search and Rescue teams already have 10 cadaver dogs as of Friday, Aug. 11. 

ABC 7 reported that Southern California fire departments plan to send more of these search dogs to Maui on Sunday, Aug. 13. 

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said that active cadaver dogs already covered 3% of the search area. 

"We've got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles, and it is full of our loved ones," he said.

Read Also: Toxic Particles from Maui Wildfire Pose Long-Term Health Hazards, Experts Warn

Are Cadaver Dogs Effective? 

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) A search and rescue team with cadaver dogs prepares to search debris from a deadly mudslide on April 4, 2014, in Oso, Washington. Workers continue to sift through debris trying to locate missing people almost two weeks after a massive mudslide devastated the town of Oso, Washington, killing at least 30 people and leaving many missing.

Cadaver dogs are trained to detect human remains during disasters. They are just like bombs or drug detection dogs. 

These detection dogs have three kinds; those trained to work in open areas on land, trained for disasters, and those that can search in water. 

Lynne Engelbert, a human remains detection dog handler, said that cadaver dogs have high drive, a solid nervous system, and tenacity. 

She added that these detection dogs are "willing to go to hell" just to find what they are looking for. 

Mary Cablk, a Desert Research Institute professor emeritus, explained that cadaver dogs can go into wreckage that is just ash and metal. 

Despite the smoky contaminated background, smoke contamination, and burnt chemicals, these dogs can still find human remains. 

If you want to learn more about how effective cadaver dogs are when it comes to search and rescue, you can click this link.  

Related Article: Hawaii Governor Acknowledges Global Warming as Factor in Wildfire as Death Toll Approaches 100