© Getty Images / Robert Gauthier
The Maui Department of Land and Natural Resources reportedly stalled as West Maui Land Co., which manages agricultural and residential developments on the western part of the island, requested additional water to stop the fast-moving blaze that would ultimately level the town of Lahaina last Tuesday.
The agency's deputy director for water management, M. Kaleo Manuel, allegedly wanted the company to get permission from a farm located downstream from its property. By the time Manuel finally released the water, it was too late and the fire had spread.
Maui's Emergency Management Agency was also criticized for its response to the inferno. Agency director Herman Andaya defended the decision not to activate the island's warning sirens, a signal network designed to work even without electricity, arguing the network was meant to be used to warn of tsunamis - not wildfires. Using it to alert residents to last week's devastating blaze would have "sen[t] the wrong message to the public," he said on Wednesday.
However, the island's own website describes the sirens as an "all-hazard" system, with fires one of several natural and human-caused events "the largest single integrated outdoor siren warning system for public safety in the world" was designed for.
The decision to warn residents via cell phone alert instead likely proved fatal for many, as the electricity had been out for hours when the fires ignited and cellular reception was down in most of the area. As a result, many residents only realized they were in danger when they smelled smoke, and with roads blocked by downed power lines some had no escape route but to jump into the ocean.
The wildfire was the deadliest to strike the US in over a century, leaving at least 106 people dead with over 1,300 still missing as of Wednesday. The cause remains unknown, though some have pointed to Hawaiian Electric, whose power lines were seen sparking in the powerful winds that engulfed the island that day. The company has been criticized in the aftermath of the fire for focusing on "green energy" window-dressing to the exclusion of wildfire mitigation.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced on Monday that a "comprehensive review" into decisions made before and during the fire response would be conducted by the state attorney general.
Reader Comments
"What kind of wildfire turns everything white and nothing black? What kind of wildfire burns buildings but not trees? And how did the wildfire move in? The forested area stops more than a mile away from town, and Lahaina is surround on all sides by open fields, with little or no brush. [Except on the ocean side, of course. Maybe the fire moved in from the ocean?] You can see that in the photo above, where the field is brown, indicating dirt. Dirt doesn't burn "
He says Oprah did it because it started near one of her plots of land. Although I am not a believer in that theory, it is possible that she is not going to let a good crisis go to waste.
She currently holds 2,000 acres. I would imagine she might pick up a few more on the cheap pretty soon.
The meters can turn power on and off to the structure by they cannot 'overload' the system.
The same goes for "wildfires", they are the "lone gunman". You have a "wildfire" and wind and that is what caused all the destruction and death. There is no need to dig deeper. The instagram video posted above shows houses burning and trees not burning. How did a "wildfire" cause that? The same happened in the Paradise fire in California. It would be useful if some agency would investigate smart meters responsiveness to RF signals.
I think that everyone who has a house and before they evacuate during fires, they should completely disconnect the meter on their house before they leave.
The more we hear, the more it looks to be completely intentional from start to finish.
MEMA sent alerts again: 3:39 p.m. high wind, 3:40 p.m. red flag conditions, just as the upcountry blaze spreads.
At 3:50 p.m. Kulalani upcountry is evacuated on county alerts and by the first statewide Emergency Alert System broadcast at 4:04 p.m. That’s where emergency officials automatically take over the airwaves to announce an urgent message.
Shortly after that, another statewide EAS at 4:16 p.m. announced an evacuation of Lahaina’s Kelawea area.
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They didn't use the hurricane sirens because that means to shelter in place, not evacuate.
Yeah, thats what I'd call it too.
Nevermind the footage of asphalt burning in small selected areas, columns of smoky energy, boats burning out at sea, selective burning of houses, on and on ad nausea, I mean nauseum....
btw, Buck Jo Frandon.
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why the surprise, its what they do.
like saying - "Cat castigated for killing bird"
And they had to ask permission to pump water for an emergency?
Looks like once it reached the city however it was really too late to put it out.
But the siren guy... yeah, he needs some alone time with the victims families. Let 'em work it out.
So you also believe they need to use up all their potable water on the fire? Because they have a limited amount of fresh drinkable water. It's a small island.
They stopped it once when it reached the city. But there were 80 mph winds and a few hours later it started up again
The initial fire a very small one started 3 days ago, on the EXACT 20 year anniversary date of the 2003 Kelowna Mountain Firestorm that consumed over 358 homes valued at 1-8 mill each $$.
The VERY same incompetence as in 2003 in fire was on display today at the 10.30 am press conference where all so-called officials just patted each other on a job well done.
In the mean time all 4 fires are now un contained and the wind shifted bringing the fires in a direct bullseye with both down town areas of Kelowna east 7 west.
Panic has ensued 1000s of tourists fled. Long lineups at all gas stations. INSANE< INSANE INSANE….
Check this local Kelowna news site out called Castanet. Cause MSM is minimizing what is going on and FB due censorship laws in Canada will NOT allow us to repost any news stories at ALL !!
Please share. Ps, not lightening strike and we have been seriously plagued by ARSONISTS for years here…
Thanks my friends !
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Be careful out there. BC is gorgeous but has become a full on metastasized enclave of the diseased progressive "left"(although not really left).
The result is that instead of focusing on forensics and analysis and on the ground experience of what did cause the Maui fire, what the fire and police depts did, and who benefits from the fire, it focuses public attention on the scapegoats. Shift the blame and walk free Oprah, though she doesn't have the engineering skill to pull this off, she does have the money to purchase the destroyed land of dead Hawaiians.
Oh yea doesn't sound like an extremely difficult task with a limited amount of time to accomplish objectives. GTFOH!
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"Authorities are still sifting through the ashes of the completely incinerated tropical island town of Lahaina while Hurricane Hilary heads for Death Valley, what's wrong with this picture? Why are "weather forecaster script readers" predicting three times more rain in the deserts than in the coastal regions where Hurricane Hilary is scheduled to make landfall? Why is the US matrix media completely ignoring the over 1000 wildfires still burning in Canada? California is again on fire, matrix media is now warning Texas will be next. We are constantly warned of smoke inhalation dangers, but is it just smoke we are breathing? Is the extreme and worsening climate chaos just nature? Or is there much more to the story that we are not being told? What comes next? How bad will it get in the coming weeks and months?..."