Justice Opens Crisis Management Investigation in Hawaii

The General Counsel of the American Hawaiian Archipelago announced, on Friday, the opening of an investigation into the management of the devastating fires that killed at least 67 people on the island of Maui, at a time when many questions arise.

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“My services are committed to understanding the decisions made before and during the fires and to sharing the results of this audit with the public,” Judge Ann Lopez said in a statement.

Controversy over the authorities’ unpreparedness is beginning to surface in Hawaii, which has been hit by one of the deadliest natural disasters in its recent history.

Many residents of Lahaina, a tourist hotspot on Maui and the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii that was nearly destroyed by fire, have publicly questioned the management of the crisis.

A spokesman for the agency responsible for crisis management in Hawaii confirmed to CNN that the sirens that were supposed to sound in the event of a fire were not activated.

However, he said, alerts were sent to residents’ mobile phones, and broadcast on radio and television.

According to multiple US media outlets, a review of emergency messages in Maui County shows that by the time the first flames were spotted near Lahaina on Tuesday morning, authorities were preoccupied with a much larger fire in Kula, in the center of the island.

Three fires, including one near Lahaina, were still active Friday on the island of Maui.