HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) — Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year's devastating wildfire on Maui said in a report released Friday they found “no evidence” Hawaii officials made preparations for it, despite days of warnings that critical fire weather was about to arrive.
FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii , on Aug. 17, 2023. FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii . FILE - Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii .
With multiple fires burning on Maui before the devastating blaze erupted in the afternoon, police focused on routine duties like traffic control rather than preparing for an evacuation, the report said. Responders lacked an incident action plan, which meant trouble figuring out where to direct resources.
Some of the challenges facing officials and residents were particular to Hawaii and Maui: narrow roads clogged with parked cars, and small, inconsistently named dirt roads — “Oil Road,” “Old Road,” “Old Oil Road” — often blocked by gates. “While much of Hawai’i, including Maui, has a relatively high risk of wildfire occurrence, it appears the perception of this risk — at the local, state, and national levels — is not always aligned with the actual, growing threat wildfires pose to the population and built environment,” the report said. “This gap between risk perception and reality seems to have contributed to a relative underinvestment in wildfire prevention, preparedness and response capacity over the years.
FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii.
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