Hawaii wildfires: Maui emergency chief quits after sirens criticism

Maui's exigency absorption main has discontinue a time aft defending his agency's nonaccomplishment to activate its alarm strategy successful past week's fatal wildfire.

Herman Andaya, who had nary anterior acquisition successful exigency management, cited "health reasons" for resigning.

In the days since, residents of the Hawaii land person told the BBC a stronger exigency effect could person saved much lives.

At slightest 111 radical person been declared dead. Hundreds are inactive missing.

Maui's blase system, which includes 80 sirens astir the island, is tested connected the archetypal of each month, its 60-second code a mean portion of beingness successful Lahaina. But connected the time of the fire, they remained silent.

On Wednesday, Maui Emergency Management Agency brag Mr Andaya insisted helium did not regret that decision.

He said helium feared the sirens - astir often sounded for tsunamis - would person sent immoderate successful Lahaina moving to higher ground, perchance into the way of the fast-moving blaze.

But successful Lahaina connected Thursday, nary of the residents who spoke to the BBC accepted this explanation, saying the siren would person provided a important informing of the approaching danger.

On the time of the fire, galore successful Lahaina were home, without power, due to the fact that of the beardown winds caused by adjacent Hurricane Dora. And a substance alert sent by the region was to the galore residents who had mislaid service.

"The sirens should person been sounded," said Sherlyn Pedroza successful Lahaina. Ms Predroza, 20, mislaid her household successful the occurrence past week.

"It would person alerted astatine slightest immoderate radical stuck astatine their location - enactment was off, schoolhouse was disconnected - it would person alerted them to get out."

As she finished speaking, Ms Pedroza spotted a neighbour from Lahaina, Alfred "Uncle Al" Dasugo, who she had not seen since the fires.

She ran to him crying and hugged him. "We didn't cognize if you made it," she said. Uncle Al smiled.

Driving to Lahaina connected Thursday on Maui's scenic Honoapiʻilani Highway, signs of the town's demolition were gradual.

Traffic lights went acheronian astir 5 miles from the town's centre. Another mile along, the charred ammunition of a car sat disconnected the broadside of the road, facing retired towards the sea, the archetypal existent hint of what lies ahead.

Military and constabulary patrol the streets, guarding checkpoints surrounding the hardest-hit areas of the historical town.

What was erstwhile a bustling portion mall, implicit with a nail salon, a hairdresser and an crystal pick shop, is present a makeshift operations centre, its car parkland filled with tents of assistance - 8ft gangly piles of nappies, 6ft gangly stacks of bread.

Lahaina residents similar Ms Pedroza were among the volunteers.

Standing among the assemblage was Ronnia Pilapil, a nonmigratory of Lahaina, loaded down with clothes, atom and toilet insubstantial for his family, present staying successful a adjacent hotel.

Last Tuesday, Mr Pilapil, 38, watched arsenic his household location - a airy bluish bungalow with a wide beforehand gait - was consumed by fire.

He had stayed behind, sending his woman and nine-year-old girl distant portion helium tried to combat the flames himself utilizing a plot hose.

But the upwind became truthful beardown the h2o started to alert backmost into his face. "That's erstwhile I knew it was going to beryllium bad," helium said. "So I conscionable ran."

He looked backmost erstwhile helium reached higher crushed to spot his location destroyed. But Mr Pilapil said helium was grateful for the "overwhelming" enactment and felt fortunate conscionable to beryllium alive.

"People died trapped successful their homes. That's each I'm reasoning about," helium said.

When asked astir US President Joe Biden's sojourn scheduled for Monday, astir residents who spoke to the BBC simply shrugged.

One said helium disquieted Mr Biden and his entourage would beryllium "disruptive" to ongoing exigency operations.

Others, similar Ms Pedroza, said they lone wished it had been sooner.

Nine days aft the disaster, galore successful Lahaina look focused connected the future, rebuilding their homes and their town.

Despite the timeline - galore said they expected the reconstruction to instrumentality respective years - nary said they had immoderate plans to leave, to effort beingness determination new.

"This is each I've ever known, this is my home," said Ms Pedroza. "Nobody's selling. We privation Lahaina back, and we're going to get it."