Search and rescue team members work in a residential area devastated by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, August 18, 2023.
Jae C. Hong/AP
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Jae C. Hong/AP
Search and rescue team members work in a residential area devastated by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, August 18, 2023.
Jae C. Hong/AP
HONOLULU — As wildfires ravaged Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his feet before returning to the island amid the ongoing crisis, while a widespread power outage communication left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts, according to a report. published Wednesday.
Communication problems were also experienced by the Hawaiian Electric Company, with officials unable to confirm that power lines had been deenergized until well after the flames had caused extensive damage, according to the state attorney general’s report. Hawaii.
It’s the second of two major assessments released this week on the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. A report released Tuesday by the Western Fire Chiefs Association details the unprecedented challenges facing Maui firefighters during a series of unprecedented fires, including one that killed 101 people in historic Lahaina.
The new report states that five days before the fire, meteorologists issued a dire warning that strengthening winds from a hurricane south of Hawaii could create an extreme risk of wildfires on the islands on the 8th. august. conditions this far out are quite rare, and we think it’s worth warning about,” a National Weather Service forecaster said in an email to Hawaii fire contacts on Aug. 3.
The attorney general’s report is the first phase of a comprehensive assessment that includes a timeline of the 72 hours before, during and after the fire. It says investigators relied on “all known available facts” related to the fire and actions taken by local, state and federal agencies to prepare for dangerous fires.
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