Leroy N. Soetoro
2023-08-19 00:01:07 UTC
https://nypost.com/2023/08/18/what-went-wrong-in-maui-outrage-over-
apparent-failings/
Ten days after a series of apocalyptic blazes decimated large swaths of
Maui and killed at least 111 people, locals were on Friday still searching
for the spark behind the deadliest US wildfire in over a century.
The Justice Department announced Thursday that a specialist National
Response Team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) has been tasked with officially investigating the cause of the blaze
that reduced the historic coastal town of Lahaina to ash.
We were all devastated to learn of the loss of life and property, ATF
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson said, adding that it will
hopefully bring some healing to the community.
The feds will likely have plenty to look at, according to infuriated
locals who have angrily blamed a slew of failures for the historic
disaster that still has more than 1,000 people unaccounted for.
That includes allegations of careless electrical company bosses, harried
fire crews and thoughtless emergency warning leaders.
There was no warning
Within hours of the flames scorching their neighborhoods, thousands of
displaced Maui residents expressed horror that there had not been an
evacuation siren.
There was no warning. There was absolutely none, Lynn Robinson, who lost
her home in the fire, told The Post last week. Nobody came around. We
didnt see a fire truck or anybody.
Instead, locals said they only avoided perishing thanks to luck and
warnings from caring neighbors.
A friend who is a lifeguard comes over on a bike, Lahaina resident Pam
Reader said of her familys survival. He was covered in soot and he just
said Its time to go. You have to get out of the house.'
Mauis Emergency Management Agency Chief Herman Andaya defended his
decision not to activate the siren saying he feared it would be mistaken
for a tsunami warning, sending people racing to higher ground.
Then they would have gone into the fire, he claimed. So even if we
sounded the siren, we would not have saved those people out there on the
mountainside.
Just a day later, Andaya stepped down amid the intense backlash, blaming
health reasons.
Power company lawsuit
Hawaiis main power supplier is already subject to a class-action lawsuit
for failing to shut off the islands power grid amid troubling weather
conditions.
There is credible evidence, captured on video, that at least one of the
power line ignition sources occurred when trees fell into a Hawaiian
Electric power line, said Mikal Watts, one of the lawyers behind the
suit.
Those videos include a clip taken by Shane Treu, who recalled hearing a
buzz, buzz as a power line snapped and started a blazing fire just
hours before the wildfire took hold and became uncontrollable.
In a matter of minutes, that whole place was just engulfed, Treu said of
the fire that locals say soon reignited after it had been declared under
control.
The old power lines were supposed to be replaced in 2019, but the company
pushed back the work, Watts alleged.
Data from Whisker Labs, which collects and analyzes electrical grid stats,
recorded dozens of sparking power lines in areas where fires likely
started and around the times they are believed to have begun.
Nobody likes to turn the power off its inconvenient, said Michael
Wara, a wildfire expert who is director of the Climate and Energy Policy
Program at Stanford University.
But any utility that has significant wildfire risk, especially wind-
driven wildfire risk, needs to do it and needs to have a plan in place. In
this case, [Hawaiian Electric Co.] did not.
Hawaiian Electric president and CEO Shelee Kimura deflected criticism at a
Monday news conference, saying that the company had to consider the need
for specialized medical equipment and water pumps.
Still, the utility is performing an internal review, he said.
Why did they leave?
The same earlier, caught-on-camera fire also led to angry criticism of
fire crews who were accused of leaving it to restart hours later.
Mauis fire department tackled the brushfire from about 6:37 a.m. that
Tuesday, declaring it 100% contained by 9 a.m., and leaving it early
that afternoon.
Instead, it restarted and spread uncontrollably from about 3:30 p.m.,
according to outraged locals.
Why did they leave? local resident Dominga Advincula, 55, asked in an
interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
If they could wait an hour or 30 minutes that small fire in the
afternoon? They couldve saved everybody else. Couldnt they just spare
one truck for two more hours?
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association labor union president Bobby Lee blamed it
on fire crews being overwhelmed.
Youve got only so many resources. he told the Honolulu Civil Beat.
When you look at what was going on, it looks like they were tapped out.
Water debacle
Firefighting abilities were also compromised by a state officials refusal
to release water to West Maui landowners until it was too late, four
sources familiar with the situation told the Honolulu Civil Beat.
M. Kaleo Manuel, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
deputy director for water resource management, hesitated at the West Maui
Land Co.s request for additional water to prevent fire spreading on
August 8, the source alleged.
The company manages several agricultural and residential subdivisions,
many of which were damaged in the wildfires.
Manuel, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner, wanted West Maui Land to
get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm downstream from its property,
the sources explained.
By the time Manuel released the water, the flames had already spread.
While Manuel declined to comment to the outlet, Gov. Josh Green spoke
candidly about the history of water disputes on the island, which he said
had been exacerbated by climate change and wildfires.
We have a difficult time on Maui and other rural areas getting enough
water for houses, for our people, for any response, Green said, according
to the Civil Beat.
But its important we start being honest. There are currently people
still fighting in our state giving us water access to fight and prepare
for fires even as more storms arise.
Green also confirmed that the state is readying a comprehensive review
of decisions made before and during the deadly fires.
Volatile plants
Part of the explanation for the horrifying events of Aug. 8 may be
natural: The invasive, highly flammable plant species that have made a
home on Maui for the last several years.
When irrigated pineapple and sugar cane crops declined, non-native, fire-
prone grasses moved in, said Elizabeth Pickett, the co-executive director
of the Hawaii Wildlife Management Organization.
The grasses including guinea grass, molasses grass and buffelgrass
were imposed on the island as a drought-proof solution to livestock
raising.
When the dry grasses burn, Pickeet explained, they decimate the native
forests and endangered species which are then replaced with more grass.
These grasses are highly aggressive, grow very fast and are highly
flammable, Melissa Chimera, whose grandmother lived on the Hawaiian
Commercial & Sugar Co.s plantation in Maui after emigrating from the
Philippines, told the New York Times.
Thats a recipe for fires that are a lot larger and a lot more
destructive.
Wheres the president?
Along with anger at the failures leading to the fire, the historic
disaster has left many in Maui feeling abandoned and let down by President
Biden, who isnt planning to visit until Monday, nearly two weeks after
the wildfire and as more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.
?Its really affecting me because wheres the president? ??one emotional
resident, Ella Sable ?Tacderan, asked on CNN while fighting back tears
late Thursday.
I mean, arent we Americans, too? Were part of the United States. Why
are we getting put in the back pocket? Why are we being ignored? she
asked, while calling the onetime federal grant of $700 a slap in the
face.
While sunning himself on the beach, Biden has repeatedly refused to
discuss the disaster then seemingly forgot Mauis name when he finally
did.
With Post wires
HowardBlack
2 hours ago
It sounds like they needed the land and didn't want to pay for it. Now it
will be condemned. And sold for pennies. It doesn't seem like a wildfire
but a set fire.
Nature's Son
3 hours ago
What went wrong? Start with incompetent "environmentalist" city tree
hugger-planners, a woman Dem governor; two women Dem Senators, a patronage
job "safety chief," and pushing green manure policies instead if simple
line maintenance. Sorry, very little sympathy. Shake and bake Dem states,
all yours.
Hummingbird
3 hours ago
Joe Biden is sending Billions to Ukraine ($8B plus another $2B for
humanitarian aid) Maui residents get $700.
Joe Biden is going on vacation this weekend to Lake Tahoe to have a good
time before going to Maui.
The Dems are truly a jack a.s party.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
apparent-failings/
Ten days after a series of apocalyptic blazes decimated large swaths of
Maui and killed at least 111 people, locals were on Friday still searching
for the spark behind the deadliest US wildfire in over a century.
The Justice Department announced Thursday that a specialist National
Response Team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) has been tasked with officially investigating the cause of the blaze
that reduced the historic coastal town of Lahaina to ash.
We were all devastated to learn of the loss of life and property, ATF
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson said, adding that it will
hopefully bring some healing to the community.
The feds will likely have plenty to look at, according to infuriated
locals who have angrily blamed a slew of failures for the historic
disaster that still has more than 1,000 people unaccounted for.
That includes allegations of careless electrical company bosses, harried
fire crews and thoughtless emergency warning leaders.
There was no warning
Within hours of the flames scorching their neighborhoods, thousands of
displaced Maui residents expressed horror that there had not been an
evacuation siren.
There was no warning. There was absolutely none, Lynn Robinson, who lost
her home in the fire, told The Post last week. Nobody came around. We
didnt see a fire truck or anybody.
Instead, locals said they only avoided perishing thanks to luck and
warnings from caring neighbors.
A friend who is a lifeguard comes over on a bike, Lahaina resident Pam
Reader said of her familys survival. He was covered in soot and he just
said Its time to go. You have to get out of the house.'
Mauis Emergency Management Agency Chief Herman Andaya defended his
decision not to activate the siren saying he feared it would be mistaken
for a tsunami warning, sending people racing to higher ground.
Then they would have gone into the fire, he claimed. So even if we
sounded the siren, we would not have saved those people out there on the
mountainside.
Just a day later, Andaya stepped down amid the intense backlash, blaming
health reasons.
Power company lawsuit
Hawaiis main power supplier is already subject to a class-action lawsuit
for failing to shut off the islands power grid amid troubling weather
conditions.
There is credible evidence, captured on video, that at least one of the
power line ignition sources occurred when trees fell into a Hawaiian
Electric power line, said Mikal Watts, one of the lawyers behind the
suit.
Those videos include a clip taken by Shane Treu, who recalled hearing a
buzz, buzz as a power line snapped and started a blazing fire just
hours before the wildfire took hold and became uncontrollable.
In a matter of minutes, that whole place was just engulfed, Treu said of
the fire that locals say soon reignited after it had been declared under
control.
The old power lines were supposed to be replaced in 2019, but the company
pushed back the work, Watts alleged.
Data from Whisker Labs, which collects and analyzes electrical grid stats,
recorded dozens of sparking power lines in areas where fires likely
started and around the times they are believed to have begun.
Nobody likes to turn the power off its inconvenient, said Michael
Wara, a wildfire expert who is director of the Climate and Energy Policy
Program at Stanford University.
But any utility that has significant wildfire risk, especially wind-
driven wildfire risk, needs to do it and needs to have a plan in place. In
this case, [Hawaiian Electric Co.] did not.
Hawaiian Electric president and CEO Shelee Kimura deflected criticism at a
Monday news conference, saying that the company had to consider the need
for specialized medical equipment and water pumps.
Still, the utility is performing an internal review, he said.
Why did they leave?
The same earlier, caught-on-camera fire also led to angry criticism of
fire crews who were accused of leaving it to restart hours later.
Mauis fire department tackled the brushfire from about 6:37 a.m. that
Tuesday, declaring it 100% contained by 9 a.m., and leaving it early
that afternoon.
Instead, it restarted and spread uncontrollably from about 3:30 p.m.,
according to outraged locals.
Why did they leave? local resident Dominga Advincula, 55, asked in an
interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
If they could wait an hour or 30 minutes that small fire in the
afternoon? They couldve saved everybody else. Couldnt they just spare
one truck for two more hours?
Hawaii Fire Fighters Association labor union president Bobby Lee blamed it
on fire crews being overwhelmed.
Youve got only so many resources. he told the Honolulu Civil Beat.
When you look at what was going on, it looks like they were tapped out.
Water debacle
Firefighting abilities were also compromised by a state officials refusal
to release water to West Maui landowners until it was too late, four
sources familiar with the situation told the Honolulu Civil Beat.
M. Kaleo Manuel, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
deputy director for water resource management, hesitated at the West Maui
Land Co.s request for additional water to prevent fire spreading on
August 8, the source alleged.
The company manages several agricultural and residential subdivisions,
many of which were damaged in the wildfires.
Manuel, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner, wanted West Maui Land to
get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm downstream from its property,
the sources explained.
By the time Manuel released the water, the flames had already spread.
While Manuel declined to comment to the outlet, Gov. Josh Green spoke
candidly about the history of water disputes on the island, which he said
had been exacerbated by climate change and wildfires.
We have a difficult time on Maui and other rural areas getting enough
water for houses, for our people, for any response, Green said, according
to the Civil Beat.
But its important we start being honest. There are currently people
still fighting in our state giving us water access to fight and prepare
for fires even as more storms arise.
Green also confirmed that the state is readying a comprehensive review
of decisions made before and during the deadly fires.
Volatile plants
Part of the explanation for the horrifying events of Aug. 8 may be
natural: The invasive, highly flammable plant species that have made a
home on Maui for the last several years.
When irrigated pineapple and sugar cane crops declined, non-native, fire-
prone grasses moved in, said Elizabeth Pickett, the co-executive director
of the Hawaii Wildlife Management Organization.
The grasses including guinea grass, molasses grass and buffelgrass
were imposed on the island as a drought-proof solution to livestock
raising.
When the dry grasses burn, Pickeet explained, they decimate the native
forests and endangered species which are then replaced with more grass.
These grasses are highly aggressive, grow very fast and are highly
flammable, Melissa Chimera, whose grandmother lived on the Hawaiian
Commercial & Sugar Co.s plantation in Maui after emigrating from the
Philippines, told the New York Times.
Thats a recipe for fires that are a lot larger and a lot more
destructive.
Wheres the president?
Along with anger at the failures leading to the fire, the historic
disaster has left many in Maui feeling abandoned and let down by President
Biden, who isnt planning to visit until Monday, nearly two weeks after
the wildfire and as more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.
?Its really affecting me because wheres the president? ??one emotional
resident, Ella Sable ?Tacderan, asked on CNN while fighting back tears
late Thursday.
I mean, arent we Americans, too? Were part of the United States. Why
are we getting put in the back pocket? Why are we being ignored? she
asked, while calling the onetime federal grant of $700 a slap in the
face.
While sunning himself on the beach, Biden has repeatedly refused to
discuss the disaster then seemingly forgot Mauis name when he finally
did.
With Post wires
HowardBlack
2 hours ago
It sounds like they needed the land and didn't want to pay for it. Now it
will be condemned. And sold for pennies. It doesn't seem like a wildfire
but a set fire.
Nature's Son
3 hours ago
What went wrong? Start with incompetent "environmentalist" city tree
hugger-planners, a woman Dem governor; two women Dem Senators, a patronage
job "safety chief," and pushing green manure policies instead if simple
line maintenance. Sorry, very little sympathy. Shake and bake Dem states,
all yours.
Hummingbird
3 hours ago
Joe Biden is sending Billions to Ukraine ($8B plus another $2B for
humanitarian aid) Maui residents get $700.
Joe Biden is going on vacation this weekend to Lake Tahoe to have a good
time before going to Maui.
The Dems are truly a jack a.s party.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.