In this image taken from video, Maui Emergency Administration Agency Administrator Herman Andaya speaks all over a news conference in Wailuku, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
AP | Mike Householder
The head of Maui County’s emergency management agency resigned on Thursday, a day after he defended his resolution to not activate sirens all over catastrophic wildfires that have taken extra than 100 lives.
Maui Emergency Administration Agency administrator Herman Andaya cited health reasons for his resignation, which took quick rep.
Andaya was once asked Wednesday whether he regretted not activating emergency sirens as wildfires spread across West Maui: “I attain not,” he acknowledged at a press conference
Andaya acknowledged the sirens are mainly susceptible for tsunamis and the public is educated to search higher ground. Escaping to higher ground would were abominable all around the wildfires, he acknowledged.
“We were vexed folk would have long gone ‘mauka,'” Andaya acknowledged, the use of a Hawaiian observe for mountainside. “And if that was once the case they’d have long gone into the fireside.”
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen acknowledged he would screech a alternative for Andaya quickly: “Given the gravity of the crisis we’re going by blueprint of, my crew and I will likely be placing someone on this key predicament as fleet as imaginable,” Bissen acknowledged in an announcement Thursday.
A minimal of 111 folk have perished in the blaze as of Wednesday, with the loss of life toll expected to rise as search canines proceed to comb the wreckage of the devastated historic metropolis of Lahaina. The inferno is the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in extra than a century and the worst catastrophe in Hawaii affirm historic previous.
Suppose and local emergency management officials face increasing scrutiny over whether or not they did ample to alert the public because the wildfires spread.
Hawaii Lawyer Frequent Anne Lopez announced on Thursday that she will be able to faucet an just investigator to have a study the affirm and local response to the wildfires.
“This will likely be an just, just evaluate,” Lopez acknowledged in an announcement.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Inexperienced acknowledged Wednesday the evaluate just isn’t a criminal investigation.
“It be not a criminal investigation in anyway,” Inexperienced acknowledged. “Staunch type now we’re working to search out out how we are succesful of build definite or not it’s bag as we plow by blueprint of storm season, as we address the fact that there’ll likely be fires month in and month out for the a few years to come.”
