How the wildfires disaster changed the way Maui now responds to emergencies
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - There are still many unanswered questions a year after Maui’s wildfires disaster, including what caused it.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has so far not released its “Cause and Origin Report.”
The devastating fires on Aug. 8, 2023, changed the way Maui responds to any emergency — and the disaster hit home for many of the island’s first responders.
Police bodycam footage the afternoon of the fires captured officer Rahul Mehra’s final moments with his home in Lahaina. He only had enough time to rush in and grab a few photos.
MAUI WILDFIRES DISASTER: ONE YEAR LATER
“What I really wanted to do is go upstairs, my kids’ rooms upstairs, grab their keepsakes, but the roof was already caving in,” Mehra told Hawaii News Now.
He had no time to mourn. The off-duty officer leapt into action and helped people escape the flames.
“It was my house, but it was just a house, other people that needed help. They’re probably trapped within,” he said.
Mehra is one of the many heroes who saved lives that day.
Their courageous acts were recorded on the Maui Police Department’s officer-worn body cameras that took us into the inferno.
A year later, the physical and mental health of Maui’s police officers are a top priority.
“They’ve been in Lahaina since this has happened. They’ve worked every day. They’re still plugged in,” said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. “And so we’re doing everything we can to make sure that we have a safety net here at work.”
The department’s after-action report recommended more live training for officers and equipment upgrades.
Chief Pelletier is especially proud of the Cold Case Unit that was created during the search for fire victims.
“That’s the group that found the 101st, Mr. Paul Kasprzycki, that was found by the cold case detail,” he said.
The disaster shook the Maui Fire Department to its core. As hard as crews fought that day, they were outmatched by the scope of the fires and extreme winds.
“We lost our beloved Lahaina and we lost loved ones and we are going to be struggling through this for a while,” said Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura.
The department is moving forward with a new plan of attack.
“We have put wildland thermal imagers on all of our engines,” Ventura told HNN. “We’re going to be mounting those N5 sensors that came out back in April. We’re amending our fire code to be a little stronger, a little clearer.”
Ventura also said the department has 21 new positions.
The Maui Fire Department is also working with Hawaiian Electric on a system called ALERTWest.
“They’re gonna put up 80 cameras throughout the state that will have artificial intelligence and the ability to pan across the landscape to look for fire,” Ventura said.
And perhaps most importantly, the public is getting involved more than ever.
“They’re neighborhood leaders, they’re district leaders within their own communities,” Ventura said. “They’re trying to make the community safer because it takes everybody to do it.”
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