MAUI: The chief of emergency management in Maui defended the agency’s choice not to activate sirens during the fatal wildfire last week, responding to inquiries about whether using sirens could have potentially prevented loss of life.
According to Herman Andaya, the head of the Maui County Emergency Management Agency, sirens in Hawaii are used to warn of tsunamis. If they were used during a fire, it could have caused people to evacuate towards the hazard; he told journalists.
On August 8, the grassland fire rapidly descended the slopes of a volcano towards the tourist town of Lahaina. Tragically, it claimed the lives of at least 110 individuals and caused extensive destruction, impacting around 2,200 structures.
In a press conference that turned tense as reporters questioned the government’s response to the fire, Andaya said that the public is trained to seek higher ground in the case that the siren is sounded.
Andaya said that if the agency had activated the siren that night, the emergency managment officials feared that people would have fled to the slope of mountain, where they might have fallen into the fire.
Andaya stated that Maui utilised two distinct alert systems: the first involved sending text messages to phones, while the second involved broadcasting emergency messages on television and radio.
He said that since the sirens were mainly situated along the waterfront, they wouldn’t have been effective for those situated on higher ground.
Josh Green, Hawaii Governor, also defended the choice to forgo sounding sirens. He directed the state attorney general to conduct a thorough examination of the emergency response, enlisting external investigators and specialists, clarifying on Wednesday that the inquiry is “not a criminal investigation in any way.”
“The most important thing we can do at this point is to learn how to keep ourselves safer going forward,” Green added.
On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are set to visit Hawaii to assess the damage and interact with first responders, survivors, and officials at federal, state, and local levels, according to a statement from the White House.
Following residents’ frustration, officials reopened a major town road on Wednesday that had been closed for days. This highway, which avoids the fire-damaged waterfront and town centre, was previously accessible only to local residents, first responders, and individuals employed by local businesses.
Hundreds of individuals remain missing. By Wednesday, crews headed by 20 cadaver dogs had searched 38% of the disaster area by going block by block. Green stated at the news conference on Wednesday that the number of dogs would soon double to 40, and he also revealed that the death toll had climbed to 110.
The process of identifying the remains has been delayed due to the severity of the fire. On Tuesday, Maui County disclosed the initial two names: Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, both residents of Lahaina. While three more individuals have been recognised, their identities are being held back until their families are informed. The remaining unidentified remains are still awaiting recognition, as per Maui County’s statement.
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