In early August, a catastrophic wildfire engulfed Lāhainā, Maui, leaving over 100 confirmed dead and 850 missing. The tragedy has ignited a firestorm of criticism directed at Hawaii’s state government, particularly Governor Josh Green, for perceived inadequacies in emergency response and preparedness. The absence of warning sirens and a perceived lack of an official response to the disaster have drawn widespread condemnation. The fire coincided with the first day back at school for many students; schools had been closed due to an outage, leaving many children home alone. Tragic stories have emerged, including that of a 14-year-old who perished along with the family dog as his parents were trapped behind a police barricade.

Green’s recent “Anti-Housing” proclamation, aimed at speeding up the construction of 50,000 new homes on Oahu, has further fueled public skepticism. Residents are concerned that developers will exploit the tragedy to build expensive hotels and condominiums, particularly as many of the destroyed properties lie along the coastline. Despite reassurances from Green, the fears persist, fueled by Maui’s existing housing crisis and an average home price of $1.2 million.

Adding to the controversy is the state police chief, John Pelletier, who has a history of service during the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. The federal disaster declaration has not alleviated concerns; locals report minimal assistance in the wake of the disaster. For instance, the Department of Health initially blocked insulin-carrying flights, although the issue has since been resolved.

[If we had more leadership from public officials it wouldn’t be THIS confused nor THIS painful. Inexcusable. ~ Beege]