Officials Defend Not Sounding Sirens for Maui Wildfires as Death Toll Climbs to 110

Schools may reopen soon, and traffic is moving again

Burned buildings are pictured in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 16, 2023. Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images

A week after wildfires devastated a historic resort town on Maui, killing at least 110 people, public schools have begun reopening and traffic is flowing again on a key road.

The Maui wildfires, the main of which hit Lahaina on Aug. 8, were the deadliest in the country in more than a century.

The island’s emergency agency chief on Wednesday expressed “no regret” for not using its extensive system of emergency warning sirens—typically used for tsunamis—to warn residents of the fire danger, many of whom were caught by surprise.

Herman Andaya, Maui Emergency Management Agency administrator, made the comments after his experience and qualifications for his position were called into question during a press conference held by the governor.

Hawaii boasts the largest system of outdoor alert sirens in the world, for a variety of dangers including wars, volcanoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. The elaborate emergency warning system—some of which dates back to around 1940 when it was used by the military to warn of enemy attacks—was developed after a 1946 tsunami killed more than 150 people.

Mr. Andaya asserted that the sirens are typically reserved for tsunami warnings, and had never been used in the situation of wildfires.

He explained that Hawaiians are trained to seek higher ground when the sirens are set off, and in this case, it would have likely prompted residents to move toward the approaching flames.

“We were afraid that people would have gone mauka,” he said, using the Hawaiian directional term that can mean toward the mountains or inland. “If that was the case then they would have gone into the fire.”

A view of flames as wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, on Aug. 9, 2023. Erin Hawk/Handout via Reuters

“I should also note that there are no sirens mauka, or on the mountainside, where the fire was spreading down. So even if we sounded the siren, we would not have saved those people out there on the mountainside.”

Power Outages Dampened Reach of Alerts

Instead of sirens, Maui authorities sent alerts via text messages and used TV and radio emergency broadcasts, Mr. Andaya said. Some alerts also came in the form of social media posts.

But widespread power and cellular outages impeded their reach. Radio reports were scarce even as the fires started to engulf the town, some survivors reported.

Road blocks then forced fleeing drivers onto one narrow downtown street, creating a bottleneck that was quickly surrounded by flames on all sides.

Destroyed homes and buildings on the waterfront burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii, on Aug. 10, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, also defended the decision not to sound the sirens. He has instructed the state attorney general to conduct a thorough evaluation of the emergency response, which will involve outside investigators and experts.

He emphasized on Wednesday that the assessment is not a criminal probe. “The most important thing we can do at this point is to learn how to keep ourselves safer going forward,” the governor said.

Schools Start Reopening Process

Hawaii Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi said on Wednesday that at least three schools in Lahaina survived the wildfires unscathed. They are still being assessed after sustaining wind damage, and will open when deemed safe.

“There’s still a lot of work to do, but overall the campuses and classrooms are in good condition structurally, which is encouraging,” Mr. Hayashi said in a video update. “We know the recovery effort is still in the early stages, and we continue to grieve the many lives lost.”

Displaced students who enroll at those campuses can access services such as meals and counseling, Mr. Hayashi said. The education department is also offering counseling for kids, family members, and staff.

On Aug. 8, when the fires started, none of the approximately 3,000 public school students in Lahaina were in classes. The education department had shut down multiple West Maui schools due to severe wind conditions, and many students remained at home as their parents were at work, according to survivors.

Moratorium on Land Transactions in Lahaina

On Wednesday, the governor announced that he has directed the attorney general to pause all land transactions in the Lahaina region. Mr. Green said he’s heard of people inquiring about acquiring properties owned by those affected by the disaster.

“My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimized from a land grab,” he said, adding that the state would provide more details Friday.

Thousands of displaced residents have been staying in shelters, hotel rooms and Airbnb units, or with friends.

The power company has restored electricity to over 10,000 customers but around 2,000 homes and businesses still had no power on Tuesday night, according to Maui County.

Hawaiian Electric Co., the state’s primary energy provider, has faced criticism for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings at the time, and keeping the power on even as multiple poles fell. In what may have been one of the fire sources, a video shows a cable dangling in a charred patch of grass, surrounded by flames.

The company faces at least three lawsuits, two of which are seeking class action status. The legal actions allege the wildfires were sparked by strong winds knocking down their energized power lines.

A view of the charred remains after wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, on Aug. 9, 2023. Erin Hawk/Handout via Reuters

FEMA Opens 1st Recovery Center

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened its first disaster recovery center on Maui on Wednesday. Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, said it’s an “important first step” in helping residents get informed about assistance.

Residents affected by the wildfires can go to the center, located at the University of Hawaii Maui College, to apply for federal disaster assistance. They can also get in touch with voluntary organizations and have access to other federal and state resources from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. HST, seven days a week, according to the FEMA website.

Ms. Criswell said she would accompany President Joe Biden on Monday, when he is due to visit the island to survey the damage and meet with survivors.

People can apply for assistance by going to disasterassistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-FEMA.

38 Percent of Burn Area Searched

Crews using cadaver dogs had searched through about 38 percent of the overall burn area by Tuesday’s end, officials said.

According to FEMA, the number of canine teams was increasing to more than 40 because of the difficulty and scope of the operation. The dogs need to rest frequently because of the terrain and heat.

For the first time in several days, officials reopened a main road in town on Wednesday. The road, skirting the charred waterfront and city center, was earlier accessible only to local residents and workers, and first responders.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.