Report finds ‘no evidence’ Hawaii officials prepared for wildfire that killed 102 despite warnings

Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year’s devastating wildfire on Maui say in a new report they found no evidence Hawaii officials made preparations for it, despite days of warnings that “critical fire weather” was about to arrive. The report released Friday by the state attorney general said that lack of planning hindered efforts to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina before it burned in a conflagration that claimed 102 lives. The report found there is no evidence that key agencies — including the Maui Fire Department and Maui Police — developed plans such as having extra staff on duty, stationing emergency vehicles or supplies in high-risk areas, or plotting possible evacuations.