Title: Lack of Warning Sirens Raises Questions in Deadly Maui Wildfires
Subtitle: Widespread power and cellular outages hindered emergency alerts
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The devastating wildfires that swept through Maui, claiming the lives of at least 55 people and destroying a historic town, have raised concerns about the effectiveness of Hawaii’s emergency warning system. Records from Hawaii’s emergency management agency indicate that no warning sirens were activated before the fires broke out, leaving many residents without sufficient time to evacuate. Instead, officials relied on alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions, and radio stations, but the widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.
Hawaii prides itself on having the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with approximately 400 sirens strategically positioned across the island chain. These sirens are designed to alert residents to various natural disasters and threats. However, numerous survivors have reported not hearing any sirens or receiving timely warnings before they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.
The wildfires on Maui are the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since a 1960 tsunami that claimed 61 lives. The tragedy prompted the development of the state’s emergency system, including the installation of sirens that are tested monthly to ensure their readiness.
Governor Josh Green has warned that the death toll is likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue. He announced that Lahaina residents would be allowed to return on Friday to assess their properties, and measures would be in place to provide essential services and supplies.
Cadaver-sniffing dogs have been deployed to assist in the search for the remains of those killed in the inferno, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.
Survivors, such as 74-year-old Thomas Leonard, a retired mailman from Lahaina, expressed their shock at the lack of real-time information about the fire. With power and cellphone service out, Leonard only became aware of the danger when he smelled smoke. He was forced to abandon his vehicle and seek refuge behind a seawall as nearby cars exploded. Firefighters eventually arrived and escorted Leonard and other survivors to safety.
The wildfires, fueled by dry conditions and strong winds from a passing hurricane, quickly spread across Maui, leaving Lahaina in ruins. Buildings were reduced to ashen rubble, palm trees were torched, and boats in the harbor were scorched.
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub confirmed that the agency’s records do not show any activation of Maui’s warning sirens when the fire started. Instead, emergency alerts were sent to mobile phones, televisions, and radio stations. However, it remains unclear if these alerts were sent before the outages severed communication to Lahaina and other areas. Throughout the island, 911, landline, and cellular services have experienced intermittent failures.
Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura explained that the fire spread so rapidly that it was impossible to relay messages to emergency management agencies responsible for issuing alerts. Residents in the affected neighborhoods were left to evacuate on their own with little notice.
The wildfires in Lahaina highlight the known risk of such events in the area. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as prone to frequent wildfires, with a significant number of buildings at risk. The report also highlighted the challenges posed by a high rate of households without vehicles and a large non-English speaking population, potentially limiting their ability to receive and understand emergency information.
The firefighting efforts on Maui may have been hindered by a small staff and limited resources. Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, revealed that there are only 65 firefighters on duty at any given time in Maui County, responsible for three islands. The department lacks off-road vehicles, preventing crews from effectively combating brush fires before they reach populated areas.
The wildfires in Lahaina, exacerbated by high winds from Hurricane Dora, have become the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which claimed the lives of at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.
As the recovery efforts continue, questions surrounding the effectiveness and reliability of Hawaii’s emergency warning system will need to be addressed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.Wildfires in Maui, Hawaii have claimed the lives of at least 55 people and destroyed a historic town, according to records from Hawaii emergency management. The records indicate that no warning sirens were sounded before the wildfires broke out, instead relying on alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions, and radio stations. However, widespread power and cellular outages may have limited the reach of these alerts.
Hawaii is known for having the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with approximately 400 sirens positioned across the island chain. These sirens are meant to alert people to various natural disasters and threats. However, many survivors of the wildfires reported that they did not hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare. They only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.
The wildfires on Maui are the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. The state’s emergency system, including the sirens, was developed after a 1946 tsunami that killed over 150 people on the Big Island. The sirens are tested monthly to ensure their readiness.
Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll from the wildfires is likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue. He also announced that Lahaina residents would be allowed to return to check on their properties, and people would be able to access water and other services.
Cadaver-sniffing dogs have been brought in to assist in the search for the remains of those killed by the wildfires. The Maui County Mayor, Richard Bissen Jr., stated that the fire moved so quickly from brush to neighborhoods that it was impossible to get messages to the emergency management agencies responsible for alerts.
The wildfires were fueled by dry conditions and strong winds from Hurricane Dora. The Lahaina fire, in particular, left the town in ruins, with buildings destroyed and palm trees torched. Firefighters have managed to build perimeters around most of the fire, but it is still not fully contained.
Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage. The plan also noted that West Maui had a high rate of households without vehicles and a high rate of non-English speakers, which may have limited the population’s ability to receive and understand warnings.
Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by a small staff and limited resources. The Hawaii Firefighters Association president, Bobby Lee, stated that there are a maximum of 65 firefighters working in Maui County at any given time, responsible for fighting fires on three islands. The department does not have off-road vehicles, making it difficult to attack brush fires before they reach populated areas.
President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster on Maui and promised to streamline requests for assistance to the island. The recovery process is expected to be complicated, but residents are being allowed to return to their homes to assess the damage safely.
This story was corrected to reflect that Thomas Leonard is 74 years old, not 70.
How can the accessibility of real-time information be improved during wildfires to ensure that individuals are aware of the danger and can evacuate in a timely manner?
To access essential services and supplies.
Cadaver-sniffing dogs have been deployed to assist in the search for remains of those killed in the wildfires, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr.
Survivors expressed shock at the lack of real-time information about the fires. Many were unaware of the danger until they smelled smoke. With power and cellphone service out, they had to evacuate on their own with little notice.
The wildfires in Lahaina highlight the known risk of such events in the area. The hazard mitigation plan for Maui County identifies Lahaina and other West Maui communities as prone to frequent wildfires, with a significant number of buildings at risk. The report also notes the challenges posed by a high rate of households without vehicles and a large non-English speaking population, potentially limiting their ability to receive and understand emergency information.
The firefighting efforts on Maui may have been hindered by a small staff and limited resources. The Maui Fire Department has only 65 firefighters responsible for three islands. The department also lacks off-road vehicles, making it difficult to combat brush fires before they reach populated areas.
The wildfires in Lahaina, exacerbated by high winds from Hurricane Dora, have become the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California.
As recovery efforts continue, questions about the effectiveness and reliability of Hawaii’s emergency warning system will need to be addressed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
