Maui Emergency Chief Resigns over Failure to Activate Sirens during Wildfire

The head of Maui County’s emergency management agency voluntarily resigned on Thursday, just a day after defending his decision to not activate sirens during the devastating wildfires that have claimed over 100 lives.

Herman Andaya, the administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, cited health reasons as the cause for his immediate resignation.

When asked on Wednesday whether he regretted not activating the emergency sirens as the wildfires spread across West Maui, Andaya confidently responded, “I do not,” during the press conference.

Andaya explained that the sirens are primarily used for tsunamis, and the public is trained to seek higher ground in such situations. However, seeking higher ground during the wildfires would have been perilous.

“We were concerned that people would have gone ‘mauka,'” Andaya stated, using a Hawaiian term for mountainside. “And if that had happened, they would have walked right into the fire.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen disclosed that a replacement for Andaya would be announced shortly, stating, “Given the severity of the crisis we are currently experiencing, my team and I are committed to swiftly filling this crucial position,” in a statement released on Thursday.

As of Wednesday, the death toll from the inferno stands at 111, with expectations of it further rising as search dogs continue searching through the debris of the devastated historic town of Lahaina. This wildfire is the deadliest in the United States in over a century and has become the worst catastrophe in Hawaii’s history.

State and local emergency management officials are increasingly facing scrutiny regarding their actions in alerting the public as the wildfires rapidly spread.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced on Thursday her intention to appoint an independent investigator to assess the state and local response to the wildfires.

“This review will be impartial and independent,” stated Lopez in a released statement.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green clarified on Wednesday that the review is not part of a criminal investigation.

“It’s absolutely not a criminal investigation,” Green clarified. “Our current focus is on how we can ensure safety during the hurricane season and how we can deal with the reality of recurring fires in the upcoming decades.”