Maui Mayor Richard Bissen says an investigation into county operations during the West Maui wildfires will be conducted at a later date.
"My team and I have been deeply and heavily focused on response decisions and activities," Bissen said. "In the past 24 days, I have not spent time looking back in detail and instead of putting energy on day-to-day needs, and supporting evolving response efforts."
Bissen addressed residents Thursday evening as he reported a timeline of events, including where he and key county officials were at the time of the fire, which has been routinely brought up during media press conferences without clear answers.
"My nearly four decades in law has taught me to not guess it answers to questions, and I spoke plainly and truthfully when asked at a press conference about recollecting what happened on Aug. 8," Bissen said. "As this seems to be of interest, I should have offered more in my comments about what occurred on the day of the disaster, and I want to be clear and repeat that I had been present in our emergency operating center since Aug. 7."
Bissen said the "severe gravity of the impact was not clear in the initial hours" of the wildfires on Aug. 8, because of limited communication with first responders.
"At that time, the degree and magnitude was still unknown as the situation unfolded," Bissen said.
"I had learned that there were many of our own emergency crews battling conditions, and working to help our community in the midst of the crisis, who themselves had lost their homes and prayed that their own families were safe. And those are individuals that were working in the EOC (emergency operations center) at the time, not in the field," he said.
He clarified that he first became aware of fatalities on Aug. 9, "which I shared
with the lieutenant governor's team. The realization that we had lost lives was devastating."
More than 115 individuals died during the wildfires, and 388 remain on the FBI’s unaccounted-for list.
County response to the fires in Upcounty and Lāhainā have raised questions, many about the roles of the mayor and former Maui Emergency Agency Herman Andaya, who was on Oʻahu at an emergency management conference the day of the fire.
Andaya resigned citing health in the early days following the fires after his work experience came under question.
Andaya was replaced with interim administrator Darryl Oliveira, the former head of Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense. He relocated from Hilo late last month to take up the Maui post.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began the process of removing hazardous material from Lāhainā earlier this week after the team finished clean-up in Upcountry.
The County of Maui will launch a website next week offering information on how residents and business owners may return to Lāhainā.
"After the EPA removes hazardous materials, such as oil, car and lithium batteries,
pesticides, paints and solvents. building inspectors will then make a determination on the safety of the structures and the immediate environment. Following that, property owners and business owners will follow a process to gain access."
More than 2,000 structures were damaged during the West Maui wildfires more than three weeks ago.
