2023-08-18 11:33:00
This decision by the agency directed by Andaya, added to the scarcity of water that hampered the work of the firefighters and the fact that the escape route was clogged with vehicles, has generated strong criticism from many residents.
Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya’s resignation effective immediately, Maui County announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons and did not provide further details.
“Given the severity of the crisis we face, my team and I will place someone in this key position as quickly as possible,” Bissen said in the statement.
The controversial decision not to sound the sirens in Hawaii
“We were afraid that people would rush into mauka,” Andaya said, using a Hawaiian word meaning inland or up a mountain. “If that had been the case, then they would have gone into the fire.”
The siren system was created after a 1946 tsunami that killed more than 150 people on the Big Island, and its website says they can be used to warn of fires.
Andaya was scheduled to attend a meeting of the Maui fire and public safety commission Thursday morning, but it was cancelled. On Wednesday he vigorously defended his qualifications for the job, which he has held since 2017. He said he was not appointed but had been vetted, taken a civil service exam and interviewed by experienced emergency managers.
The former emergency system administrator had been deputy director of the Maui County Department of Housing and Human Affairs and chief of staff to former Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa for 11 years.
In that time, he said, he often reported to “emergency operations centers” and participated in numerous trainings. “So to say that I’m not qualified, I think it’s wrong,” he stated.
Arakawa said he was disappointed by the resignation “because now we are leaving a really qualified person.” According to the former mayor, Andaya was vetted for the position by the county personnel service. “He was trying to be strong and do his job,” Arakawa said of the response to the wildfire. “He was very, very heartbroken by all the things that happened,” he added.
Investigating the government’s response to the fires in Hawaii
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said in a statement early Thursday that an outside organization will conduct an “impartial and independent” review of law enforcement’s response and that officials intend to “facilitate any necessary corrective action.” and make progress in preparing for future emergencies. The investigation will probably take months, she added.
Avery Dagupion, whose family home was destroyed, is among many residents who say they did not receive advance warning to leave.
Dagupion pointed to an announcement from Mayor Bissen on August 8 that the fire had been contained. That lulled people into a false sense of security and made him wary of officials, Dagupion said.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Gov. Josh Green and Bissen were furious when asked about such criticism.
“The people who were trying to put out these fires lived in those houses – 25 of our firefighters lost their homes,” Bissen said. “Do you think they were doing a half job?”
Hotels turned hostels
a Hawaii
Displaced residents are filling hotels set up to house and service them until at least next spring.
Authorities expect to empty the cramped and overcrowded group shelters early next week, said Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations for the American Red Cross. Hotels are also available for eligible evacuees who have spent the last eight days sleeping in cars or camping in parking lots, he said.
“We will be able to keep people in hotels for as long as it takes to find them accommodation,” Kieserman told a news conference. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of rooms.”
The contracts with the hotels will run for at least seven months, but could be extended, he said. Service providers at the properties will offer meals, counseling, financial assistance and other disaster assistance.
Green has said at least 1,000 hotel rooms will be reserved. Additionally, AirBnB said its nonprofit wing will provide accommodation for 1,000 people.
The governor also promised to protect local landowners from being “victimized” by opportunistic buyers. Green said Wednesday that he directed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land deals in Lahaina, though he acknowledged that he would likely face legal challenges.
With flames consuming much of Lahaina just over a week ago, locals feared that a rebuilt town could be geared even more toward wealthy visitors.
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They investigate what could have caused the fires in Hawaii
The cause of the wildfires, the deadliest in the US in more than a century, is under investigation. But Hawaii is increasingly at risk of disaster, with wildfires rising faster, according to an AP analysis of FEMA records.
The local electric power company faced criticism for maintaining power despite the area being hit by strong winds.
“The facts about this event will continue to evolve,” Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura wrote in an email to utility customers Thursday.
“And while we may not have answers for some time, we are committed, working with many others, to find out what happened as we continue to focus urgently on Maui’s restoration and rebuilding efforts.”
Search continues for missing in Hawaii fires
The search for the missing moved beyond Lahaina to other communities that were destroyed. Authorities had covered about 45% of the burned territory as of Thursday, the governor said.
Corrine Hussey Nobriga, whose home was saved, said it was hard to blame for a tragedy that caught everyone by surprise, even if some of her neighbors questioned the lack of sirens and inadequate evacuation routes. The fire moved quickly through her neighborhood, not far from where crews were combing through ash and debris for human remains.
“One minute we saw the fire there,” he said, gesturing toward the distant hills, “and the next minute it’s consuming all these houses.”
The search was marred by intermittent cell phone service and misleading information on social media. It has also been difficult to find people who may be in hospitals, sheltering in friends’ houses or in unofficial shelters that have sprung up. Many people made flyers and went door to door looking for their loved ones.
Between devastation and pain: Maui residents return to their homes destroyed by fire
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