HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials didn't prepare for dangerous fire weather in the days before flames incinerated the historic Maui town of Lahaina even though they were warned by meteorologists, the state's attorney general said Friday.
The finding came in a 518-page report drafted for the attorney general by the Fire Safety Research Institute. It's the second of a three-part investigation aimed at understanding the tragedy and how best to avoid such disasters in the future.
The Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century.
Here's what to know:
Many didn't know the fire was threatening their seaside town. Powerful winds knocked out electricity, depriving people of internet, television and radio. Cell networks went down, so people couldn't exchange calls and texts or receive emergency alerts. Police delivered warnings door to door, but Maui County officials failed to sound emergency sirens telling residents to flee.
Many decided to leave upon smelling smoke and seeing flames. But they soon found themselves stuck in traffic after police closed key routes to protect people from live power lines toppled by high winds.
One family made it out by swerving around a barricade blocking Honoapiilani Highway, the main coastal road leading in and out of Lahaina. Some jumped in the ocean to escape the flames. Others died in their cars.
Maui police said 102 people died. Victims ranged in age from 7 to 97, but more than two-thirds were in their 60s or older, according to the Maui police. Two people are missing.
The toll surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.
The Maui Fire Department will release a report on the origin and cause of the fire, which will include the results of an investigation led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A county spokesperson said the fire department hasn't yet received the ATF's findings.
Some queries have focused on a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines early on Aug. 8. Firefighters declared it extinguished, but the blaze appears to have flared up hours later and turned into an inferno.
An Associated Press investigation found the answer may lie in an overgrown gully beneath Hawaiian Electric Co. power lines and something that harbored smoldering embers from the initial fire before rekindling.
Hawaiian Electric has acknowledged its downed lines caused the initial fire but has argued in court filings it couldn’t be responsible for the later flare-up because its lines had been turned off for hours by the time the fire reignited and spread through the town. The utility has instead blamed Maui fire officials for what it believes was their premature, false claim that they had extinguished the first fire. The county denies firefighters were negligent.
Thousands of Lahaina residents have sued various parties they believe to be at fault for the fire, including Hawaiian Electric, Maui County and the state of Hawaii.
Plaintiffs and defendants reached a $4 billion global settlement last month. It's not final because some parties have asked the Hawaii Supreme Court to weigh in on how insurance companies might be allowed go after Hawaiian Electric and others to recoup money they've already paid to policyholders to satisfy insurance claims.
The fire displaced about 12,000 people, most of them renters, upending a housing market already squeezed by a severe supply shortage.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping 1,700 households pay rent. It's building modular homes for hundreds more alongside the state and nonprofit organizations.
Maui's mayor has proposed legislation that would force owners of 7,000 vacation rentals to rent to residents to free up housing for survivors. Some estimates say 1,500 households have left Maui as rents have soared.
The Army Corps of Engineers this month finished clearing debris from all 1,390 burned residential properties. Rebuilding has begun on 20 lots.
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 - 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 - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, 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)
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 trying to equal a season-high, four-game winning streak. Instead, they moved one step closer to the majors' post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets.
Chicago is 36-116 with 10 games left and has the fourth-most losses in a season since 1900. The 2003 Detroit Tigers hold the American League mark with 119 losses.
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.
“We just didn’t get the momentum going. I thought we had had some chances and decent at-bats, but, just couldn't string anything together to create some offense,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said.
The Angels snapped a six-game losing streak. They scored in the third through seventh innings and had 10 hits for the first time in five games.
Wagaman connected on an elevated fastball from Enyel De Los Santos in the sixth inning for a 432-foot solo shot to left-center.
“It's been cool to be able to get the first few hits out of the way and get a couple of home runs,” said Wagaman, who lived 20 minutes south of The Big A in Aliso Viejo and grew up rooting for the Angels. “It's been a lot of fun from family and friends reaching out. We have 11 games left so hopefully we can finish strong.”
Five of Wagaman’s six hits have gone for extra bases, including the two homers. The third baseman also had an RBI single in the fourth to make it 2-0.
“He's showing that he has tremendous bat-to-ball skill. He has some power. We'll see where it goes,” manager Ron Washington said.
Canning (6-13) bounced back after allowing 10 runs (nine earned) in his last start at Minnesota on Sept. 10. He struck out six and walked two while earning his third win since the All-Star break.
“I really didn't make any changes (between starts). I felt like I had better stuff in Minnesota, so that's just the way the game works out sometimes,” Canning said.
Taylor Ward opened the scoring in the third when he lined a base hit to left field off Davis Martin (0-5), driving in Charles Leblanc. Ward also scored on Jake Eder's wild pitch in the seventh inning.
Nolan Schanuel, who scored on Wagaman's base hit, doubled to the right-field wall to bring home Gustavo Campero and extend the Angels' lead to three runs in the fifth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 2B Michael Stefanic (right calf tightness), 2B Brandon Drury (left hamstring tightness) and OF Mickey Moniak (left hand) were not in the lineup for the second straight day.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up their series with a Wednesday afternoon game. Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 5.08 ERA) has gone 0-2 in September. The White Sox will go with a bullpen game with RHP Jared Shuster (1-4, 4.54 ERA) being the opener.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels' Charles Leblanc, right, scores on a single by Taylor Ward as Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee waits for the ball during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels' Gustavo Campero, right, is tagged out at first by Chicago White Sox first baseman Gavin Sheets after he rounded first for a single and tried to dive back during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Chicago White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa can't get to a ball hit for a single by Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto, top, tags out Chicago White Sox's Nicky Lopez as Lopez tries to steal second during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward, center, hits an RBI single as Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee, right, and home plate umpire David Arrieta watch during the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels' Charles Leblanc scores on a single by Taylor Ward during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
