There’s some sick irony about where Maui’s emergency management officials were when the wildfires broke out. They were off-island, attending a convention whose agenda centered on disaster response. A hurricane off the coast led to high winds, possibly damaging power lines, which created the blaze. That’s not the official cause, but it’s likely, given the number of downed wires. It’s the worst wildfire in a century, with at least 100 people dead, some 1,000 still missing, and $6 billion in damages (via NY Post):
As the deadliest US wildfires in a century razed Maui, the emergency officials responsible for responding to them were all on another island — learning how to deal with exactly such a disaster, it emerged Wednesday.
The heads of the Maui and Hawaii emergency management agencies were at an annual conference on Oahu on Aug. 8, the day the fires started leveling Lahaina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed to HawaiiNewsNow (HNN).
Key federal officials were also at FEMA’s annual disaster meeting when one of the worst disasters in recent US history started raging on the other island, the outlet said.
The officials gathering in Waikiki became part of a “coordinating call about 11 a.m.,” a state emergency management spokesperson told the local outlet what would have been nearly five hours after the blazes started.
“There were consultations about the fires among local, state, and FEMA participants,” FEMA spokesman John Mills said.
There were some familiar names at this conference. Herman Andaya, Maui’s disaster chief, who infamously defended his decision not to trigger the alarm system, was in attendance. He resigned hours after he said that the alarms wouldn’t have saved those burning alive anyway—a horrible response. We also don't know if these individuals left the event to get this crisis under control.
Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya today defended the decision not to activate emergency sirens warning #Maui residents and visitors about the wildfires. Here's a clip from the press conference.
— Star-Advertiser (@StarAdvertiser) August 17, 2023
Details: https://t.co/0m3zSd9QmD #HInews #StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/lSe3iM6flj
CBS News has learned Maui’s emergency operations chief had no background in disaster response. It’s his department that is responsible for setting off warning sirens, which rang silent during the fires. #maui #wildfires #Lahaina #MauiFire
— Norah O'Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) August 16, 2023
"The Maui and Hawaii Emergency Management agencies did not immediately respond to The [NY] Post’s request for comment."
An official for the state water commission dithered in releasing reserves that could have helped fight the blaze. It doesn’t help that he was caught talking about “equity” regarding these resources. The mayor of Maui was a mess when pressed about the number of missing children.
After ten days of devastating fire in Maui the mayor, Richard Bissen couldn’t give an answer how many kids are missing.
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) August 20, 2023
Honestly what is going on in Maui?
Why is there no answers or accountability? pic.twitter.com/R0xjxVukMc
The cherry on top of this dysfunction sundae is the local media's inability to get any comment or updates from anyone, including the Maui police department. Hawaiian Electric, the main energy company for the state, allegedly had their utility trucks blocking escape routes on the island.
There are rumors of congressional hearings regarding the pervasive incompetence exhibited in the response to the wildfire.
Do it.