Findings from Lahaina fire investigations being released

Apr. 16—Findings from dueling investigations into how government and firefighters responded to the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire, which killed 101 people and left 8, 000 homeless, will be released this week.

Findings from dueling investigations into how government and firefighters responded to the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire, which killed 101 people and left 8, 000 homeless, will be released this week.

At a 9 a.m. news conference at the Kula fire station today, Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura will present the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety's After-Action Report on the August 2023 Maui Wildfires, produced by the Western Fire Chiefs Association.

That probe looks only at how firefighters managed the emergency Aug. 8 but will not include an official determination of what caused the fire or where it started.

That separate investigation by the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety and the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is ongoing.

The ATF's findings, in their entirety, will be attached to the MFD's cause and origin report when complete.

It is being released ahead of the Maui Fire and Public Safety Commission meeting at 10 a.m. today, and commissioners received copies of WFCA's findings Monday.

Gordon Gillis, principal consultant for Safety Services Hawaii, is the new chair of the commission that will discuss the MFD report Thursday.

Laksmi Abraham, director of communications and government affairs for Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that MFD's report is focused on firefighters' actions Aug. 8 and will provide lessons learned to create best practices to be applied to future large-scale events and disasters.

"The AG's report will be somewhat different than what we're putting out, " said Abraham.

On Wednesday, state Attorney General Anne E. Lopez will release the first phase of the state's independent investigation.

That probe, conducted by a contractor, the Fire Safety Research Institute, analyzes how the fire incident unfolded, based on science, during the first 24 to 72 hours of the fire and its aftermath, and includes a comprehensive timeline of events.

FSRI has "not been involved with WFCA's review " and has had "zero interaction with WFCA " on this subject, according to the Attorney General's Office.

"Multiple investigations are in process, and FSRI can't speak to any specific report, other than their analysis that will be releasing on Wednesday, " said Toni Schwartz, public information officer for the state Department of the Attorney General. "I want to emphasize that the objective, third-party report that FSRI will share at the AG /FSRI press conference on Wednesday focuses on several key factors based on months of data collection and 12, 000 data points derived from call logs, 911 calls, body worn camera footage, radio transmissions, and personal photos taken by members of the Lahaina community. From this, FSRI created the most accurate timeline of the wildfire events. These fact-finding processes will enable us to identify key lessons learned and prevent a tragic situation like this from occurring again."

The state investigation and MFD's after-action report are just two of dozens of evidence-gathering ventures sparked by the Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui.

Dozens of civil lawsuits seeking damages for starting the fire have been filed by victims. Maui County is. alleging that the company is liable for damage from three wildfires.

The FSRI investigative team, hired in August, has encountered "unexpected delays when gathering the critical facts for review, " which had a direct impact on the findings' release date.

To date, 67 subpoenas have been issued to Maui County, as part of an effort to coordinate and document data, interviews and evidence requested by the state's contractor.

In November, after being served with the first round of subpoenas, Maui County officials said they received eight requests for information, totaling 80 specific items.

Thirty-two of those items were completed and submitted to investigators, and 20 items were pending due to processing or a response from the department that holds the records, the county said. Additionally, in November the county said 12 items required U.S. Department of Homeland Security clearance before they could be produced.

"We understand the people of Hawaii need to know what happened. We all want fast answers, but it is critical that this investigation be thorough and accurate. An analysis of this magnitude cannot be rushed, and we must allow for the time needed to make sure this investigation, based on science, is done correctly. I am confident that the Phase One report will provide some answers to the questions surrounding the tragic wildfire incident, " said Lopez in a March 18 news release. "The scope of this investigation is unprecedented and will help us work together to create a safer Hawaii."

In February the Maui Police Department and preliminary findings from an internal review of its response to the Aug. 8 high winds and wildfires.

The 98-page report was based on 26 hours of recorded radio traffic that was "meticulously reviewed and analyzed to construct an accurate timeline."