A Cascade Of Breakdowns In Lahaina Fire Exposes Flaws In Emergency Management System. Emergency preparedness plans identified West Maui as high risk. Under an inexperienced emergency manager, the plans didn’t translate into action. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.
Power lines didn’t start deadly Lahaina inferno, Hawaiian Electric says. Hawaiian Electric acknowledged that its power lines apparently started an Aug. 8 morning fire in Lahaina but contends the town was leveled by a different fire that began in the afternoon, hours after the company’s equipment had been “de-energized.” Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.
Bare electrical wire, leaning poles on Maui were possible causes of deadly fires. Videos and images analyzed by The Associated Press confirmed those wires were among miles of line that Hawaiian Electric Co. left naked to the weather and often-thick foliage, despite a recent push by utilities in other wildfire- and hurricane-prone areas to cover up their lines or bury them. Associated Press.
Lawyers Descend On Maui In Race For Clients Harmed By Wildfires. Survivors are being asked to make decisions about legal representation just weeks after a deadly blaze ripped through Lahaina. Civil Beat.
Financial impact of wildfires goes beyond numbers, says UH economist. The University of Hawaiʻi's Economic Research Organization is working on an analysis of the impact of the fires on Maui. Hawaii Public Radio.
Gov. Green releases $30M to fund fire response. State response to the Lahaina fires is being paid for in part with $30 million from Gov. Josh Green’s discretionary fund. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii municipal bonds take a plunge. Hawaii state and local municipal bonds have surrendered all their 2023 gains in the past three weeks after the deadly Maui wildfires delivered a fresh reminder of climate risk in the $4 trillion market for state and local debt. Bloomberg.
State warns of COVID uptick on Maui, statewide. Dr. Sarah Kemble, state epidemiologist, said COVID-19 numbers have been steadily increasing over the past month in Hawaii and nationwide and that there are now concerns for Maui. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.
Oahu
Red Hill to start ‘milestone’ in defueling. The military entity charged with removing 104 million gallons of aviation and marine fuels from the Navy’s controversial, underground Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Halawa marks a milestone Monday. Star-Advertiser.
Makakilo rock quarry expansion is sought. A rock quarry in Makakilo that has long aggravated some and appeased other residents in communities built around the 50-year-old mining enterprise is aiming to expand and extend operations. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Island
‘How can anyone afford that?’ Few insurance options remain for residents in lava zones 1 and 2. A contentious meeting regarding homeowners insurance for Puna residents and others was held Wednesday at the Hawaiian Shores Community Center. Tribune-Herald.
Hawaii County chosen for Cities Forward program. Hawaiʻi County will be one of 12 municipalities participating Cities Forward program, a U.S. Department of State initiative “seeks to foster urban sustainability on a global scale.” Big Island Video News. Tribune-Herald.
Big Island’s Pohoiki boat ramp — landlocked by 2018 Kīlauea eruption — could reopen by end of 2024. The long, frustrating wait to regain direct access to the ocean and lucrative fishing grounds via Puna’s Pohoiki boat ramp — which became landlocked during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption — could finally be over before the end of next year. Big Island Now.
Learn to be prepared: CERT training offered next month in Puna. The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency is inviting the public to a two-day Community Emergency Response Team training course scheduled for the end of September in Keaau. Tribune-Herald.
Mayor Hosts Cantankerous Meeting In Volcano Village. Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth and his cabinet held another town hall event Thursday evening at a crowded Cooper Center in Volcano Village, where officials heard the usual questions and concerns from residents about roads, planning, and emergency preparedness. Big Island Video News.
Maui
Oliveira tapped to lead Maui Emergency Management Agency. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has named Big Island resident Darryl Oliveira, former head of Hawaii County Civil Defense, to be the interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency. Oliveira also formerly was chief of the Hawaii Fire Department. Tribune-Herald. Maui News.
HHS secretary visits Maui to pledge federal aid for health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary visited Maui on Friday. Xavier Becerra has been meeting with fire survivors and first responders. Hawaii News Now.
Interactive map shows unsafe water advisories on Maui. UH, Purdue researchers are sampling Kula system. Recent testing results released by the state Department of Health detected benzene in one Lahaina sample and the presence of toluene and xylenes in one Kula sample. Maui News. Hawaii News Now.
Maui police confirm the identity of three more Lahaina wildfire disaster victims. Maui police have identified 43 individuals publicly following notification of next of kin, including three additional individuals on Sunday afternoon. Maui Now. KHON2.
Kauai
Polihale Park Is Poised For A $4.3 Million Makeover. The remote park that is the site of Native Hawaiian burials and a popular camping spot has suffered years of neglect. Civil Beat.
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