Maui Fire Department to release after-action report on deadly Hawaii wildfires
HONOLULU– The Maui Fire Department is expected to release a report Tuesday detailing how the agency responded to a series of wildfires that burned on the island during a storm last August — including one that killed 101 people in the historic town of Lahaina and the became the deadliest American wildfire. in more than a century.
The release comes one day before Hawaii’s attorney general is expected to release the first phase of a separate comprehensive investigation into the events before, during and after the Aug. 8 fires.
The reports could help officials understand exactly what happened when the wind-swept fire overtook Maui’s historic town of Lahaina, destroying about 3,000 properties and causing an estimated more than $5.5 billion in damage, according to state officials.
The Western Fire Chiefs Association produced the after-action report for the Maui Fire Department. After-action reports are often used by military organizations, emergency response organizations, government agencies, and even corporations to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s response to an emergency.
A similar after-action report was released by the Maui Police Department in February. It made 32 recommendations to improve the law enforcement agency’s response to future tragedies, including that the department be better equipped and that it station a senior officer at the island’s communications center during emergencies.
Hawaiian Electric has acknowledged that one of its power lines fell and caused a fire in Lahaina the morning of Aug. 8, but the utility denies that the morning fire caused the flames that burned through the city later that day. But dozens of lawsuits filed by survivors and victims’ families argue otherwise, saying entities like Hawaiian Electric, Maui County, major property owners and others should be held responsible for the damage caused by the inferno.
Many of the factors that contributed to the disaster are already known: Strong winds from a hurricane that moved far offshore had downed power lines and blown off parts of roofs, and debris blocked roads in Lahaina. Later, the same wind rained embers and burst flames through the heart of the city.
The vast majority of the province’s firefighters were already battling other wildfires in another part of the island. Their efforts were sometimes hampered by a critical loss of water pressure after winds knocked out electricity to the water pumps normally used to charge firefighting tanks. and reservoirs. County officials have acknowledged that a lack of backup power for crucial pumps made it significantly more difficult for crews to battle the Upcountry fires.
A small firefighting team was tasked with dealing with any outbreaks in Lahaina. That crew brought the morning fire under control and even declared it extinguished, after which they went to lunch. By the time they returned, the flames had erupted in the same area and quickly spread to a large subdivision. The Lahaina fire burned so hot that thousands of water pipes melted, making it unlikely that backup power for pumps would have had a significant impact.
Cell phone and internet services were also down in the area, making it difficult for some to call for help or get information about the spreading fire, including any evacuation announcements. And emergency responders did not use Hawaii’s extensive network of emergency sirens to warn Lahaina residents.
The high winds sometimes made it difficult for first responders to communicate on their radios, and 911 operators and emergency responders were overwhelmed with hundreds of calls.
Police and electrical crews tried to direct people away from roads partially or completely blocked by downed power lines. Meanwhile, people trying to flee the burning neighborhoods lined the few arteries leading in and out of the city.
The traffic jam left some trapped in their cars when the fire overtook them. Others close to the ocean jumped into the choppy waters to escape the flames.
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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.