Nearly 400 people still missing after Maui fires
NBCAUG 2023
This entire tragedy needs to be reviewed from top to bottom, but that doesn't mean that local, state, or federal government agencies are specifically at fault for this. As Hawaii and its citizens work to rebuild their lives and communities and better prepare their institutions for future disasters, everyone from lawmakers to private companies and volunteers needs to continue to put money in the hands of these victims and work to enact policies to end the destruction of burning fossil fuels.
Even if climate change played some type of role in these wildfires, the fact that emergency agencies failed so miserably in a state that faces natural disasters all the time — from Tsunamis to hurricanes to volcanic eruptions — should raise everyone's eyebrows. Police barricades blocked certain people from fleeing communities; the Department of Land and Natural Resources delayed the release of water; and the emergency alert system only sent alert texts to some communities. That is beyond negligent, and people need to be held responsible.