Video of the early moments of the fire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on Maui show a wooden power pole suddenly snap with a flash then falling to dry grass below igniting flames.

The footage is key evidence into the possible cause of the fire that has killed at least 106 people as the search continues for more victims.

Hawaiian Electric Company is facing a class-action lawsuit for not shutting off the power.

Governor Josh Green has opened a main east-west road on Maui for a few hours a day but no one is allowed near the impact zone where teams still search for victims.

Most public schools are starting to re-open, but several are still being assessed to make sure the air and water quality are safe.

The U-S Federal Emergency Management Agency opened its first disaster recovery centre on and is also sending more dogs to help with search and recovery.

“It’s still very important to remember that this is a very active and dynamic situation and our search and rescue teams are working closely with the state to help account for those still missing,” says FEMA’s Deanne Criswell.

About 700 federal personnal have been sent to the island so far.

The number of canine search teams will be increased to 49 because of the difficulty of the search and recovery operation.