Maui Emergency Chief resigns after not activating sirens during fire.
Maui Emergency Management Agency Chief Resigns After Controversial Decision
Maui Emergency Management Agency Chief Herman Andaya has resigned from his position, citing “health reasons.” This comes just a day after he explained his decision to forego using emergency sirens to alert residents about the deadly fire that ravaged the island last week.
During a press conference, Andaya defended his choice to rely on text messages, radio, and TV alerts instead of the emergency sirens. He explained that the sirens are typically used for tsunami warnings, which would have directed people towards the fire in this case.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has accepted Andaya’s resignation, effective immediately. In response to the crisis, Bissen expressed his commitment to quickly appointing a replacement for the key position.
Reporter grills Maui Emergency Operations Chief Herman Andaya over not sounding the alarm on Maui.
Andaya: “The public is trained to seek higher ground in the event that the sirens sounded. If that was the case, then they would’ve gone into the fire.” pic.twitter.com/pkOVEfUVwB
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 17, 2023
Andaya also faced criticism for being absent from Maui when the fires broke out. He admitted during a press conference that he was attending a conference at an Oahu resort while the wildfires were spreading. Governor Josh Green has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fires and the emergency response, although it is not a criminal probe.
The death toll from the wildfires has now reached 111, including children. However, only around 40% of the burn area has been searched, and over 1,000 people are still missing. Video footage suggests that some of the fires may have started from downed power lines.
A security camera at the Maui Bird Conservation Center captured the moment a power line sparked a blaze in the woods. This center is located in the rural town of Makawao, about 30 miles away from the devastated city of Lahaina.
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The Makawao fire was the first of several reported on the island last week. Prior to the fires, Maui experienced strong winds from a hurricane offshore. While the Makawao blaze did not reach Lahaina, it was one of the many fires that eventually engulfed the town of 13,000.
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