The count of those known to have perished in the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire is at least 115, making it the nation’s most deadly in over 100 years. Thousands more lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods.
The fire’s unprecedented toll of terror and death made one imperative crystal clear: Going forward, fire threats and fire emergencies cannot be handled as they were before the fatal event, and complacency cannot be an option.
New procedures and protocols incorporating the increased dangers that we now know come with wildfire must be and are being developed, throughout the state. These must include:
>> Uniform, statewide emergency protocols, so that there is no confusion over, for example, the use of emergency sirens.
>> Expanded evacuation procedures, to identify not only primary escape routes, but alternatives if one route is blocked.
>> Standard, statewide procedures for utilities to follow under emergency conditions, including triggers for shutting off power, and expectations for using and restoring wireless communications.
>> Clear responsibilities along an emergency chain of command, and channels to facilitate communication between all entities, public and private, who might play a role in responding to emergency conditions.
Actions across the state last week indicate that emergency officials are moving in this direction. It’s a positive step that interim Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) administrator Darryl Oliveira, a former fire chief and Civil Defense administrator, has emphasized statewide cooperation and coordination.
On Tuesday, Oliveira’s second day on the job, Maui County officials held a news conference to announce that recovery work in Lahaina had turned to searching out and removing toxic substances and hazardous waste. As Oliveira was pressed to comment on Maui’s state of preparedness, his answers revolved around educating the public about emergency actions, including use of sirens and other warnings, and ensuring that procedures and messaging statewide followed common guidelines.
An Aug. 26 brush fire above Kaanapali has already revealed that Maui, and by implication all of Hawaii, would use emergency sirens and snap evacuations to protect against fire danger: Within about 15 minutes after firefighters got to the scene, evacuation of threatened areas was ordered, and four nearby sirens were activated.
“We’ve already seen the change take place” with siren use above Kaanapali, Oliveira noted. However, the process of developing “all new protocols” for the siren system, so that it would be understood statewide, remained underway. Within days, he expected a policy agreement, then reviews by all county mayors and the governor.
On Wednesday, more evidence of statewide coordination was on display, as the National Weather Service issued its first “red flag warning” since the Lahaina fire, this time for leeward areas of all islands — predicting a high, imminent risk of wildfire.
On Kauai, the utility powered down in high-threat leeward areas to guard against fires that might be sparked by a downed electric line.
On Maui, the Hawaii National Guard positioned a Chinook helicopter with a 2,000-gallon water bucket on the island, and assigned members to keep watch for fires. The fire department had a helicopter at the ready. And Maui County, the state and Hawaiian Electric — which is being sued by Maui and whose role in the Lahaina fire is under investigation — issued a joint statement assuring residents that government agencies and the utility “are working together to minimize the risk of wildfire and ensure public safety.”
The joint assurance was welcome. Next, emergency channels for communication between key entities must be formalized in a publicly available emergency plan, so that no confusion can develop over contacts, roles or cooperation.
Community plans are also necessary, so that information about issues such as firefighter access, evacuation routes and site-specific hazards can be disseminated efficiently. On Oahu, state Rep. Amy Perruso is recruiting community members in Waialua and Mokuleia to organize for emergency and hazard awareness planning, as those in Wahiawa and Mililani have done.
Individuals and families must have access to information on fire-protective measures, incorporating information gleaned from the Lahaina disaster. Since that fire, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) has leaned in on messaging emphasizing the protective nature of “fire-free defensible space” around properties, for one.
Links to sign up for emergency alerts and for protective steps can be found at dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-ready/. These could become a matter of life or death in a fast-moving disaster.
The circumstances of any emergency situation will differ, sometimes wildly, from any past event. The Lahaina fire proved that in a nightmarish way.
“Remember Lahaina” must be a lasting argument against putting off preparation, not only for public agencies and utilities, but for each individual.
