Hawaii Hasn’t Any Regrets about Lack of Wildfire Sirens

Officials in Hawaii, who have come under fire for failing to issue warnings as a fatal wildfire tore through a community, argued on Wednesday that sounding the emergency sirens would not have prevented casualties.

Lahaina, on the island of Maui, was destroyed by a fire last week, killing at least 110 people. Some locals were unaware that their town was in danger until they saw the flames.

However, the leader of Maui's Emergency Management Agency, which manages a network of 80 sirens, defended the choice to silence them as fire engulfed Lahaina's more than 12,000 residents on Wednesday.

"Tsunamis are the main reason why sirens are utilized. In the case that the siren sounds, the public is instructed to seek higher ground, Herman Andaya said at a news conference.

"We're afraid that people would have gone (into the hills) into the fire had we sounded the siren that night."

Since the accident, criticism has increased as survivors lament the lack of official warnings and the disruption of the electrical and cell phone networks, which restricted the channels through which alarms are often provided.

Andaya asked on Wednesday if anybody would have heard if the sirens had sounded their 121-decibel warning, which the American Academy of Audiology claims is the same as a jet taking off.

He said that many individuals who were indoors with their air conditioning on would not hear the sound.

They wouldn't have heard the sirens because of the loud, strong winds that day and other factors.

When asked if he regretted not turning on the system, he responded, "I do not."

Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, commissioned an investigation of the events leading up to, during, and following the tragedy last week in an effort to draw lessons.

Survivors have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's delayed response, poor progress in their physical recuperation, and restrictions on returning to their homes.

Officials in charge of disasters have bristled at claims that the local population has lost faith in them, saying that it is visitors who are complaining.

At an occasionally tense press conference, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said, "You think that people who live here who are helping don't care?"

"Ask the locals who were born and reared. Speak with those who are attempting to put it all together. You should have faith in us since here is where we live.

The death toll is currently over a third of the disaster area, and when the remaining area is searched by specially trained canines, more deaths are anticipated.

"This is a really difficult search operation," Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told reporters.

"The dogs have to navigate the heat. They have to deal with issues with their paws walking through glass and debris and in these conditions. The dogs require frequent rest.

"I want to be honest with everyone: this is also going to be a very long and hard recovery."

Only a handful of bodies recovered from Lahaina have been identified so far, two of whom were named by Maui County officials as Robert Dyckman, 74, and 79-year-old Buddy Jantoc, both from Lahaina.

Experts in forensic pathology, some of whom worked in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, have flown to Maui, as efforts are stepped up to identify remains.

Authorities on the island have begun collecting DNA samples from people whose relatives are missing. But the presence of so many tourists was a further complicating factor, and could necessitate a much larger network for capturing samples, said Adam Weintraub of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

"We're going to have to establish some kind of system where if you have family who are vacationing on Maui and you haven't been able to contact them, you can go to your local police station" to give a sample, he said.

The White House said President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will "meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials" in Maui on Monday.

The president posted on social media, saying, "I remain committed to providing everything the people of Hawaii need as they recover from this disaster."

Following the firestorm last week, Biden swiftly declared a major disaster in Hawaii, enabling the federal government to send in immediate aid.

However, the Republican opposition has lambasted him for what they have called a meek reaction to the flames.

According to information from emergency services, "search and recovery efforts are expected to be at a stage early next week to allow for a presidential visit."

Source: AFP