'Unforgivable': Hawaiian Business Owners Blast Gov't for Dropping the Ball on Maui Wildfires
© AP Photo / Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hawaiian business owners in an interview with Sputnik slammed authorities' handling of the deadly wildfires that swept the island of Maui, in particular the deliberate decision not to sound warning sirens.
The wildfires, which broke out on August 8, were fueled by dry and hot weather and exacerbated by the strong winds brought on by Hurricane Dora. The fire destroyed several settlements, including the popular tourist town of Lahaina, and forced authorities to block roads and suspend public transportation.
Hundreds of local residents were evacuated from the area. The official death toll has reached 114 with more than 1,000 people missing.
Last week, US President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Hawaii, making additional federal resources available to help combat the wildfires. The president and first lady Jill Biden visited Hawaii on Monday.
Alarming Negligence
Following the tragedy in Maui, Herman Andaya, the county’s then-head of the emergency management agency, resigned from his post after drawing criticism from the public for defending his decision to not use the siren warning system.
Andaya explained at the time that the system is primarily intended for tsunamis, and that the public would, as per habit, seek higher ground.
Wildfire damage is shown, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
© AP Photo / Rick Bowmer
However, the county website states the system "can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more."
"It seems counterintuitive to not set off a warning siren regardless of whether they are for tsunamis. They get people’s attention," Michael Dougan, the owner of the Yonegan Pro-Diver dive shop, said.
"If someone is sleeping, they will wake up, they will hear them and then they can use their common sense to help save their lives. It made no sense to me to not sound the warning so that Lahaina could evacuate."
A similar sentiment was expressed by Nathon Holder, the owner of the VigiLatte Artisan Coffee shop, who said the state was completely unprepared for the wildfires.
9 August 2023, 20:34 GMT
"Andaya’s decision cost innumerable amount of lives, no person should be able to decide that people shouldn’t be warned because of the potential hazards. Instead, kids stayed in their homes not knowing anything and were burned alive while their parents were working also not knowing," Holder stated.
Donald Moriarty, the owner of Honolulu eatery Doner Shack, concurs.
"Not pulling the sirens is unforgivable. There is no way the victims’ families will accept the state’s answer, nor would any sane person," Moriarty said.
Disaster Response
When asked about the authorities’ efforts to deal with the natural disaster, the business owners offered varying opinions on the situation.
"The federal response is absolutely laughable. We don’t have any federal aid on the ground in a capacity to actually help those who need it. FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and Red Cross at this point are only operating donation sites to redistribute necessities to the public. They themselves have made no contribution," Holder said.
Meanwhile, Dougan was more positive toward FEMA’s efforts, lauding its quick reaction to the incident.
This aerial photo shows destroyed buildings and homes in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023
© AFP 2023 / SEBASTIEN VUAGNAT
"I think FEMA is doing an extraordinary job. They reacted within 24 hours, which is incredibly fast. I know that they’re helping to the best of their ability," he said.
On the other hand, the dive shop owner was less than positive about the state government discouraging travel to the parts of Maui that remain unaffected by the blaze.
"Our government is not up to the task. We lost 20% of our economic engine with Lahaina. And yet, the government decided to shut down 100% of the island. So, the hardship from the people from the Lahaina is visited on everybody else," Dougan said, adding that "no tourists means 40% of our economic engine is gone" and that "it could have just been 10% if the government hadn’t told people to stay away."
The businessman also pushed back against the reasoning offered by some officials that discouraging tourism would free additional housing for evacuees and first responders.
13 August 2023, 06:43 GMT
"The Fairmont Hotel is at 10% capacity. There’s plenty of space for workers to come in and for tourists to come in. So there’s plenty of space for people to find temporary housing," Dougan suggested.
Nevertheless, the people of Hawaii are showing remarkable solidarity and generosity in the face of this tragedy, according to Moriarty.
"From what I saw, the quick and generous response from locals showed that the Aloha spirit is real and made me proud to be from Hawaii. Sadly, we totally upstaged the dismal efforts by government," Moriarty said.
