‘Deadity underestimated’
Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda told CNN that officials were taken by surprise by the tragedy.
“We underestimated the lethality, the intensity of the fire,” he said.
Governor Greene defended the immediate response, saying the situation was complicated by multiple fires and the intensity of the winds.
He said, “After seeing that storm, we doubt that much could have been done with a fast-moving fire like that.”
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said her office “will this week investigate critical decision-making and sustainable policies that occurred during and after the wildfires on Maui and the islands of Hawaii.”
Maui suffered several power outages during the crisis, preventing many residents from receiving emergency alerts on their cell phones — something Tokuda said officials should have been prepared for.
No emergency siren was sounded, and several Lahaina residents reported being aware of the fire as neighbors ran into the street and shouted for people to leave.
“We have to make sure we perform better,” Tokuda said.
The fires come after other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave sweeping the US Southwest.
Europe and parts of Asia have also endured rising temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them more likely and more deadly.