Report finds ‘no evidence’ Hawaii officials prepared for Maui wildfire that killed 102 despite warnings

Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year’s wildfire that killed 102 people 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 coming.

Honolulu (AP) — Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year’s wildfire that killed 102 people 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 coming. That lack of planning hindered efforts to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina before it burned, the report said. A forecaster with the National Weather Service emailed fire managers an “unprecedented advance warning” on August 4, 2023, of the danger that would develop on Aug. 8, including extreme winds as a hurricane passed far to the south, according to the report released by the state attorney general. But in the ensuing days, 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, such as by having extra staff on duty, stationing emergency vehicles or supplies in high-risk areas, or plotting possible evacuations. “The strongly worded nature of the email, had it been communicated to fire managers in other states with better developed severity preparedness strategies, could have gained attention and prompted discussion and operational planning,” the report said. “It was a call for State of Hawaii fire managers to prepare for the impending extreme weather.” The heroic efforts of firefighters and police — who risked their lives sprinting door to door to warn residents to leave — were undercut by the lack of planning as the deadliest US wildfire in a century destroyed thousands of buildings.