Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez Releases First Phase Objective, Science-Based Facts Related to The Maui Fire Investigation
17 Abril 2024 - 3:45PM
Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez announced today Phase One of
the three-part investigation into how state and county governments
responded during the Maui wildfires. The Phase One report and
Timeline will inform the Phase Two analysis and Phase Three
recommendations for improved safety in Hawaiʻi.
“Responsible governance requires we look at what happened, and
using an objective, science-based approach, identify how state and
county governments responded. We will review what worked and what
did not work and make improvements to prevent future disasters of
this magnitude,” said Attorney General Lopez. “Today we are sharing
the Lahaina Fire Report and Timeline so that the people of Hawaii
can know how the fire unfolded.”
Attorney General Lopez selected the independent, third-party
Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research
Institutes, to assess the performance of state and county agencies
in preparing for and responding to the Maui wildfires. FSRI has
extensive experience researching fire dynamics,
structure-to-structure fire spread and near-miss firefighting
incidents. Currently, FSRI is focused on fires in the Wildland
Urban Interface (WUI) where wildfire moves to impact
communities.
“This comprehensive Lahaina Fire Report and minute-by-minute
timeline focuses on the events that occurred prior to, during and
immediately following the Lahaina fire. This includes factors such
as preparedness efforts, weather and its impact to infrastructure,
and other fires occurring on Maui for the time period beginning at
14:55 (2:55 p.m. HST) on Aug. 8, 2023, and concluding at 08:30
(8:30 a.m.) on Aug. 9, 2023,” said Steve Kerber, Ph.D., PE, vice
president and executive director of FSRI. “The Lahaina wildfire
tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that the threat of grassland
fires, wildfires and wildfire-initiated urban conflagrations,
fueled by climate change and urban encroachment into wildland
areas, is a reality that must be addressed with the utmost urgency
and diligence – not just in Hawaiʻi.”
The Phase One report and Timeline focus on three main areas:
- Pre-fire
conditions – how environmental conditions including climate and
weather, vegetation and fuels helped create the situation;
- Fire progression –
how more than 12,000 lines of data including 911 calls, radio
transmissions and personal photos taken by members of the Lahaina
community to inform how the fire spread; and
- Emergency response – how organizations responded to the
crisis.
Kerber cautions that it is premature to draw conclusions based
solely on the report and timeline and that the FSRI analysis of the
facts will result in more details that will be shared in the Phase
Two report targeted for release the end of the summer and Phase
Three completed by the end of the year.
“I want to thank the people of Lahaina for the generosity they
showed in sharing their stories, videos and photos with us,” added
Kerber. “Their experiences and observations are a valuable part of
the data collection and validation process. Their contributions
were critical in the development of this report and timeline, and
we must also recognize the heroic actions of first responders and
civilians alike who were on the ground doing their best to protect
people and property during this tragic event.”
“Let me be clear: we are not here to place blame or draw
conclusions,” said Lopez. “The focus of the Phase One report and
Timeline is to identify the facts. Phase Two will use the Timeline
to analyze the facts, and Phase Three will focus on recommendations
for the future. The purpose of this independent analysis is to find
facts and develop new policies and procedures to save lives and
property in the future so Hawaiʻi will be a safer place to live for
generations to come.”
AG Lopez added, “To be clear, this is not a report about the
‘cause’ of any fire – the causation investigation is being
performed by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and firearms and
the Maui Fire and Public Safety Department.
About the Department of the Attorney GeneralThe Attorney
General, who is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the
Senate, is the chief legal officer and chief law enforcement
officer of the state of Hawaiʻi. The Attorney General is by statute
authorized to independently proceed with investigations and works
to deliver on its mission of providing excellent legal and public
services in a timely manner.
About Fire Safety Research InstituteThe Fire Safety Research
Institute (FSRI) strives to advance fire safety knowledge and
strategies in order to create safer environments. As part of UL
Research Institutes, the nonprofit safety science organization
within the UL enterprise, FSRI uses advanced fire science, rigorous
research, extensive outreach, and education in collaboration with
an international network of partners to impart stakeholders with
knowledge, tools, and resources that enable them to make better,
more fire safe decisions, ultimately saving lives and property. To
learn more, visit fsri.org. Follow FSRI on Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Dave Day
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1284
Email: david.d.day@hawaii.gov
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov
Toni Schwartz
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1252
Cell: 808-379-9249
Email: Toni.E.Schwartz@hawaii.gov
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov
Fire Safety Research Institute
Email: ULFSRI@allisonworldwide.com