A new report by the Hawaii attorney general reveals a critical lack of planning by key agencies before the devastating wildfires in Maui, contributing to the tragedy. The report highlights that despite an 'unprecedented advance warning' from the National Weather Service about the impending danger, no concrete plans were developed for dealing with the severe wildfire risk.
The report found there is no evidence that key agencies — the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Maui Fire Department , Maui Police and others — developed plans for dealing with severe wildfire risk.That lack of planning hindered efforts to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina before it burned, the report said.
The departments share a mobile command vehicle, but the county did not provide evidence that it was used that day, the report said. Some emergency vehicles didn't have equipment for clearing roadblocks. With multiple fires burning on Maui that day, police focused on routine duties like traffic control rather than preparing for an evacuation, the report said. The police and fire departments operated separately, hindering communication as winds toppled utility poles, cutting power and cell service.
Some of the challenges facing officials and residents were particular to Hawaii and Maui: narrow roads clogged with parked cars and private dirt roads blocked by gates. Nationally, the report noted, people think of Hawaii as a tropical vacation destination, not fire-prone. Even among residents it may be difficult to get excited about wildfire risk when “red-flag weather” — hot, dry and windy — isn't much different from a typical summer day.
Hawaii Wildfires Lahaina Emergency Response Planning Failure Maui Fire Department
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