Hawaii brings in outside investigator to dig into wildfire response

On Thursday, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced that an investigation had been launched into the response to the wildfires that have killed at least 110 people and led to widespread destruction across the island of Maui.

The review, set to be conducted by an independent third party, will analyze why state and county officials made the decisions they did both in the lead-up to the fires and while they ravaged the area.

"This will be an impartial, independent review," Lopez said in a statement. "Having a third-party conduct the review will ensure accountability and transparency and reassure the people of Hawaii that all of the facts will be uncovered."

Lopez explained that the information collected during the review "will be used to assess the performance in emergency preparedness" and to "look at this critical incident to facilitate any necessary corrective action and to advance future emergency preparedness."

The process is expected to take months, and Lopez emphasized that they would be "taking the necessary time to follow the facts wherever they lead."

Governor Josh Green, who asked Lopez to initiate the procedure, emphasized that the review was "not a criminal investigation in any way," and that the goal was simply to "find out how we can make sure it's safe as we go through hurricane season, as we deal with the reality that there will be fires month in and month out for the decades to come."

The decision was lauded by many Hawaiian politicians, including State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, who said, "an independent review will ensure that all aspects of the incident, including any potential shortcomings in preparation, response, and communication, are thoroughly examined."

"By entrusting this process to an unbiased entity," he added, "we can collectively ensure that lessons are learned, best practices are identified, and that our communities are better equipped to face similar challenges in the future."

The decisions made at both the local and state level have faced scrutiny, with many questioning why more wasn't done to give residents time to prepare. Maui's Emergency Management Agency, for example, opted not to sound the sirens alerting people of the approaching fires. Administrator Herman Andaya has since resigned.