Report finds "no evidence" Hawaii officials prepared for deadly wildfire despite warnings

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.

That lack of planning and a misperception of the risk hindered efforts to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina before it burned, claiming 102 lives, the report said.

"While much of Hawaiʻi, 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."