
In deadly Maui wildfires, communication failed. Chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames
Associated PressWAILUKU, Hawaii — In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience. “My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” she said in a statement Friday, adding that “now is the time to begin this process of understanding.” The Associated Press created a timeline of the wildfires, using information from multiple sources including the county’s announcements, state and local Emergency Management Alerts and interviews with officials and survivors. Just before 5 p.m., Maui County shared a new Lahaina fire report on Facebook: “Flareup forces Lahaina Bypass road closure; shelter in place encouraged.” Many were already running from the flames. Maui County Facebook posts around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday urged residents in the surrounding area who weren’t impacted by the fires to shelter in place, and said smoke was forcing more road closures. “The fire went from 0 to 100.” But Cicchino said it all felt like the county wasn’t prepared and government agencies weren’t communicating with each other.
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