Report finds 'no evidence' Hawaii officials prepared for wildfire that killed 102 despite warnings

HONOLULU (AP) — Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year's wildfire that killed 102 people on Maui said in a report released Friday they found “no evidence” Hawaii officials made preparations for it, despite days of warnings that critical fire weather was coming.

That lack of planning hindered efforts to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina before it burned, the report said.

A forecaster with the National Weather Service emailed fire managers an “unprecedented advance warning” on Aug. 4, 2023, of the danger that would develop on Aug. 8, including extreme winds as a hurricane passed far to the south, according to the report released by the state attorney general.

But in the ensuing days, the report found, there is no evidence that key agencies — the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Maui Fire Department, Maui Police and others — developed plans for dealing with severe wildfire risk, such as by having extra staff on duty, stationing emergency vehicles or supplies in high-risk areas, or plotting possible evacuations.

“The strongly worded nature of the email, had it been communicated to fire managers in other states with better developed severity preparedness strategies, could have gained attention and prompted discussion and operational planning,” the report said. “It was a call for State of Hawaii fire managers to prepare for the impending extreme weather.”

The heroic efforts of firefighters and police — who risked their lives sprinting door to door to warn residents to leave — were undercut by the lack of planning as the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century destroyed thousands of buildings.

“This investigation serves as a wake-up call for the state and county governments to learn from the past and urgently prepare for the future,” Attorney General Anne Lopez said in a statement.

Maui's mayor said the report will help Maui respond to future disasters and save lives.

“The County remains committed to a transparent and thorough investigation that will help us identify and implement best practices,” Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency didn't immediately respond with comment.

Maui fire commanders discussed the forecast, but “no evidence of pre-event preparedness plans by the MFD were produced,” the report said. The police and fire departments never established a unified incident command post or action plan, and as a result it was more difficult to know who was responding to what, where to direct resources, or which evacuation routes were blocked by downed trees or power lines.

The departments share a mobile command vehicle, but the county did not provide evidence that it was used that day, the report said. Some emergency vehicles didn't have equipment for clearing roadblocks.

Hawaiian Electric Co. has acknowledged that its power lines caused a fire the morning of Aug. 8. Firefighters who responded believed they had extinguished it. But, the report notes, they had limited access to the area due to steep terrain and unstable power lines overhead, making it difficult to determine if the fire was truly out.

The fire that destroyed Lahaina later that day ignited in the same area. Maui County's report on the cause of the catastrophe has not been released.

With multiple fires burning on Maui that day, police focused on routine duties like traffic control rather than preparing for an evacuation, the report said. The police and fire departments operated separately, hindering communication as winds toppled utility poles, cutting power and cell service.

Maui County and the state use private contractors to help fight fires with water tankers and heavy equipment. But those contractors weren’t trained to use portable radios, and with cell service down many had to communicate with firefighters in person. Firefighters had to flag down water tankers to ask them to fight fires. Some hydrants failed as the fire melted water lines.

Maui Fire Department policy requires backup relief engines to be ready to respond to an emergency. But some lacked breathing equipment and portable radios, the report said. Personnel at fire stations spent valuable time locating and loading hoses, nozzles and hand tools.

And despite the warnings, the heads of the county emergency management agency and the Maui Fire Department were off-island that day, attending conferences in Honolulu. The report said no one appeared to be in charge of strategic resource allocation.

Some of the challenges facing officials and residents were particular to Hawaii and Maui: narrow roads clogged with parked cars and private dirt roads blocked by gates.

Many older, wooden homes were separated by less than 6 feet (1.8 meters), and residents frequently left windows open, making it easier for the fire to spread.

The 518-page report, conducted by the Fire Safety Research Institute, is the second part of a three-part attempt by officials to understand the tragedy and how best to avoid such disasters in the future.

The review determined that the lack of planning fit a long pattern of apathy to wildfire risk in Hawaii, where tsunamis and hurricanes are considered more pressing dangers, and it was among many factors that set the stage for the catastrophe.

Nationally, the report noted, people think of Hawaii as a tropical vacation destination, not fire-prone. Even among residents it may be difficult to get excited about wildfire risk when “red-flag weather” — hot, dry and windy — isn't much different from a typical summer day.

“This gap between risk perception and reality seems to have contributed to a relative underinvestment in wildfire prevention, preparedness and response capacity over the years,” the report said.

Even though a 2018 wildfire in West Maui near Lahaina burned 2,000 acres (810 hectares), destroyed 21 structures and forced 600 people into shelters, the Maui Police Department’s “Natural and Man-Made Disaster Plan” didn’t include wildfires. The Maui Fire Department has policies for responding to hurricanes but not high fire danger.

Maui County passed legislation in 2022 giving the fire department the authority to require property owners to clear vegetation, such as the dry invasive grasses that helped fuel the Aug. 8 fire, but the county “has not produced any evidence that the MFD has enforced these amendments in the Lahaina area,” according to the report.

It called for better vegetation management and fire breaks and recommended providing alternate means of firefighting water supply for extreme events, including portable pumps to draw from pools, ponds and the ocean.

The Maui Police Department should develop safe evacuation procedures, and the fire department should establish operating procedures for bad fire weather, the report said.

“Things need to change, and preparedness is where it starts,” Derek Alkonis, of the review team, told a news conference Friday.

Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix; and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

FILE - Photos of Sharlene Rabang, who was named as the 100th victim of the Lahaina wildfires after dying weeks after fleeing her home, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, are seen at her husband Weslee Chinen's family home in Waipahu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

FILE - The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, File)

FILE - Briena Mae Rabang, 10, holds the ashes of her great-grandmother Sharlene Rabang, who was named as the 100th victim of the Lahaina wildfire, while posing for a photo with her father Branden, left, and grandfather Brandon, right, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - A man reacts as he sits on the Lahaina historic banyan tree damaged by a wildfire on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, points to damage as he speaks with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell during a tour of wildfire damage, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - Thomas Leonard lies on an air mattress at an evacuation center at the War Memorial Gymnasium after his Lahaina apartment was destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Wailuku, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - JP Mayoga, right, a chef at the Westin Maui, Kaanapali, and his wife, Makalea Ahhee, hug on their balcony at the hotel and resort, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, near Lahaina, Hawaii. About 200 employees were living there with their families. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - Rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, above homes burned by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Blake Snell struck out 12 over six innings and allowed just one hit to carry the San Francisco Giants past the faltering Baltimore Orioles 10-0 on Tuesday night.

The Orioles have lost seven of nine to fall 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East, pending New York’s game later Tuesday night at Seattle. Baltimore held a half-game lead on Sept. 5 before its current tailspin, during which it has been outscored 46-18.

Colton Cowser had two of the Orioles’ five hits in their most lopsided shutout loss of the season.

RAYS 8, RED SOX 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane Baz allowed two runs and two hits over seven innings, Jose Siri homered and drove in four runs, and Tampa Bay beat Boston.

Baz (3-3) struck out six and walked one, and set a team mark with his fifth consecutive start of giving up three hits or fewer over five-plus innings.

Siri hit one Tampa Bay’s three homers during a four-run fifth inning and extended the Rays lead to 8-3 with his three-run bloop double to left in the eighth.

Junior Caminero, Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe also homered for the Rays. Tampa Bay trails Minnesota by six games for the final AL wild card, and would also have pass Boston, Seattle and Detroit.

Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez homered for Boston, which is five back of the Twins with 11 games remaining.

MARLINS 11, DODGERS 9

MIAMI (AP) — Jesús Sánchez doubled twice and drove in three runs, and Miami beat Shohei Ohtani and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani struck out three times but hit his 48th home run as he tries to become the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He did not steal a base for the fifth straight game and remains at 48.

Sánchez went 5 for 5, while Otto Lopez and Jake Burger homered for the Marlins.

Connor Norby became the first Marlin with four runs scored in a single game this season. He went 2 for 3 with a single, double and two walks. Kyle Stowers had an RBI triple in the fourth and added a run-scoring double in the sixth for the Marlins, who had 15 hits.

TWINS 4, GUARDIANS 1

CLEVELAND (AP) — Willi Castro hit a two-run homer, Matt Wallner had two RBIs and Minnesota bounced back from a crushing loss in the series opener to beat Cleveland and stay locked into the final AL wild card.

Castro connected in the eighth inning, and both of Wallner’s RBI singles came off Gavin Williams (3-10), who has just one win in his last seven starts.

The Twins entered with a 1 1/2-game lead over Detroit for the last playoff berth.

Lane Thomas homered for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who are closing in on the postseason. They can still clinch a spot on Wednesday.

REDS 6, BRAVES 5

CINCINNATI (AP) — Michael Harris II and Matt Olson homered for Atlanta, but the Braves blew a four-run lead in a costly loss to Cincinnati.

Pierce Johnson and Jesse Chavez struggled as Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game. The Braves (81-70) are battling the New York Mets for the third NL wild card.

Harris hit a leadoff drive in the first against Brandon Williamson. Marcell Ozuna reached on a one-out single before Olson made it 3-0 with his 26th homer.

Jorge Soler’s 19th homer made it 5-1 in the fourth. But that was it for Atlanta, which went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.

Spencer Steer homered for Cincinnati, and Tyler Stephenson had two hits and drove in a run. The Reds improved to 4-0 against the Braves this year.

METS 10, NATIONALS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso homered and drove in five runs, Luisangel Acuña added his first major league longball to cap a huge night at the plate, and the New York Mets routed Washington to boost their chances in a close National League playoff race.

Tylor Megill (4-5) provided another terrific outing in place of injured starter Paul Blackburn, and Francisco Alvarez also went deep as the Mets improved to 10-2 against Washington this year.

New York moved two games ahead of rival Atlanta for the last NL wild card with 11 to play. A loud cheer went up in the crowd of 24,932 at Citi Field when the out-of-town scoreboard showed that Cincinnati had polished off a 6-5 comeback victory over the Braves.

Jose Iglesias had three hits and scored twice, batting leadoff with Francisco Lindor sidelined by a sore back. The 22-year-old Acuña, subbing for Lindor at shortstop, finished a triple shy of the cycle and scored three times from the No. 9 spot in his fourth big league game.

CARDINALS 3, PIRATES 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lance Lynn threw six strong innings in his 100th appearance at Busch Stadium, Jordan Walker homered and St. Louis beat Pittsburgh.

Lynn (7-4) allowed one run on four hits and struck out five. Lynn is 9-0 over his last 21 starts at Busch, where he pitched for the Cardinals from 2011-17 before rejoining St. Louis this season. His last loss in the Cardinals’ ballpark came on July 4, 2017, against Miami.

The Cardinals (76-75) are seven games out of the final NL wild card spot with 11 games remaining.

Bryan De La Cruz hit his 20th homer of the season, taking Lynn deep in the second inning. De La Cruz’s drive to the left-center bleachers traveled 431 feet and was his second for Pittsburgh after being acquired from Miami.

PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning to back up the strong pitching of Zack Wheeler and Philadelphia beat Milwaukee in a matchup of division leaders.

Nick Castellanos added a solo shot and Trea Turner went 3 for 5 to help the Phillies move closer to wrapping up the NL East title while delaying the Brewers’ NL Central championship celebration.

The Phillies lowered their magic number for clinching the NL East to four. The Brewers’ magic number dropped to one with the Chicago Cubs 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

OAKLAND 4, CUBS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Shea Langeliers homered twice, including a towering solo drive that cleared the Wrigley Field bleachers in left, and Oakland beat Chicago.

Langeliers’ third multihomer game of the season and No. 5 for his career upped his season total to 28, extending his career best.

Lawrence Butler also went deep for Oakland, which stopped a three-game losing streak. The skid included back-to-back losses to the MLB-worst White Sox.

Ian Happ hit two solo homers for the Cubs (77-74), who fell six games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild card with 11 games left.

TIGERS 3, ROYALS 1, 10 INNINGS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Parker Meadows hit a broken-bat single in the 10th inning to give Detroit the lead, moments after Trey Sweeney had been given third base because of a balk, and the Tigers went on to beat Kansas City.

Tyler Holton (7-1) retired all six Royals he faced, striking out a pair in the ninth to force extra innings. Jason Foley took care of the Royals in the 10th, earning the save for the second straight night and 25th time this season.

Riley Greene added an RBI single off Lucas Erceg (2-6) later in the 10th for the Tigers, helping them to remain 1 1/2 games back of the Twins for the final AL wild-card spot.

The Royals stayed 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the first wild-card spot. They are 1 1/2 ahead of Minnesota.

ROCKIES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 2

DENVER (AP) — Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar hit home runs, Ryan Feltner pitched into the seventh inning for his first victory at Coors Field in two years, and Colorado beat Arizona.

Tovar, who also homered in Monday’s 3-2 win over Arizona, finished with three hits and drove in two runs. Goodman also homered Monday and connected for his 13th of the season off Blake Walston in the seventh.

Jacob Stallings and Jordan Beck hit run-scoring doubles and Brenton Doyle added a sacrifice fly for the Rockies, who had two more runs in the eighth.

Christian Walker homered and Pavin Smith had two doubles and scored a run for Arizona, which dropped into a tie with the New York Mets for the last two NL wild-card spots. San Diego holds the top spot.

RANGERS 13, BLUE JAYS 8

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Wyatt Langford homered and doubled twice, struggling Jonah Heim delivered a two-run single to break a sixth-inning tie and Texas beat Toronto.

Leody Taveras also had a homer among his three hits for the Rangers.

Heim was 1 for 34 in September before he lined a single to right field off Tommy Nance (0-2) to score Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe, giving Texas a 9-7 lead. Heim went to the plate hitting .212 with 53 RBIs after being voted an All-Star starter last season with a career-best 95 RBIs. He added a double in the eighth ahead of Taveras’ homer during a three-run inning.

Matt Festa (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, giving him a 5-0 record in 13 appearances with the Rangers after being granted free agency by the New York Mets on July 7.

ANGELS 5, WHITE SOX 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Eric Wagaman homered for the second straight game, Griffin Canning threw six innings of three-hit ball, and the Los Angeles Angels dealt the Chicago White Sox their 116th loss with a 5-0 victory on Tuesday night.

The White Sox were shut out for the 19th time, tied for fourth-most since 2000, and finished with six hits. They had only two runners reach second base.

The Angels stopped a six-game slide. They scored in the third through seventh innings and had 10 hits for the first time in five games.

YANKEES 11, MARINERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with a win over Seattle.

The Yankees can clinch at worst a wild-card spot in the American League with a victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The win in the opener of New York’s six-game road trip pushed the Yankees lead in the AL East to four games over Baltimore.

Judge laced a two-run double three batters into the game and added a two-out, two-run single the next time he was up an inning later. Judge now has a league-leading 136 RBIs on the season.

Soto joined the offensive outburst in the third inning with a two-out, two-run opposite field blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo. It’s the first time in his career Soto has reached the 40-homer mark and he’s now homered in all 30 parks in baseball.

Soto and Judge are the third set of Yankee teammates to each hit 40 home runs in a season joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930, 1931), and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (1961).

ASTROS 4, PADRES 3, 10 INNINGS

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Grae Kessinger replaced the ejected Jose Altuve and scored on Kyle Tucker’s single in the 10th inning to give the AL West-leading Houston a wild win against San Diego.

Astros reliever Héctor Neris loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 10th before getting Manny Machado to ground into a force play. Machado had hit a tying two-run homer in the sixth.

Neris earned his 18th save.

Kessinger started the 10th as the automatic runner in place of Altuve, who was ejected along with manager Joe Espada after a crazy scene following the top of the ninth.

Altuve grounded out to third for the final out but apparently thought he had fouled the ball off his foot. He took off his left cleat and sock, which got him ejected by plate umpire Brennan Miller. Espada was tossed after continuing to argue.

Giants blank Orioles

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Giants blank Orioles