Looking back at the fire (Lahaina: neighborhoods, dangerous, safety)

[Cida]

The analysis and the aftermath.


Why Maui Burned
Lahaina’s wildfire was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. Now the community is grappling with the botched response as it tries to rebuild.
The destruction may have been unprecedented, but the fire itself was not. Public-safety officials, scientists, and activists had warned for years of the wildfire risks in Maui, owing to the growing population and the dryness of the island. “It was a ticking time bomb,” Willy Carter, a conservationist who studies native Hawaiian ecosystems, said. “The bomb went off.”
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...ponse-recovery

[prospectheightsresident]

Botched response is right. I recall when I noted elsewhere that I fear the rebuilding is going to take years, which many property owners cannot afford to wait, which will subsequently lead to many selling and moving out of state. Some took issue with that and said that the state would move to quickly enable rebuilding But now reports are stating that the latest Army Corps of Engineers clearing process would take a year at least (and it hasn't even started); true, landowners can clear on their own, but the process would be fundamentally more expensive and inconvenient. Other reports I've read show residents frustrated with receiving little direction from the state on how to go about things, so this one year clearing process timeline will take even longer to even begin.

Folks, this is the Hawaii state and country government we're dealing with. Hawaii is a beautiful state, but government here is among the most corrupt, inept, and dangerously incompetent that I've experienced. And that's saying something. Still, as is the case with any democratic system, government will only be as good and effective as the citizens who elect and keep voting back the same kind of politician into office.

[KohalaTransplant]

Originally Posted by prospectheightsresident

Botched response is right. I recall when I noted elsewhere that I fear the rebuilding is going to take years, which many property owners cannot afford to wait, which will subsequently lead to many selling and moving out of state. Some took issue with that and said that the state would move to quickly enable rebuilding But now reports are stating that the latest Army Corps of Engineers clearing process would take a year at least (and it hasn't even started); true, landowners can clear on their own, but the process would be fundamentally more expensive and inconvenient. Other reports I've read show residents frustrated with receiving little direction from the state on how to go about things, so this one year clearing process timeline will take even longer to even begin.

Folks, this is the Hawaii state and country government we're dealing with. Hawaii is a beautiful state, but government here is among the most corrupt, inept, and dangerously incompetent that I've experienced.And that's saying something. Still, as is the case with any democratic system, government will only be as good and effective as the citizens who elect and keep voting back the same kind of politician into office.

You do realize the Army Corp of Engineers is not a State or Count agency, right?

[prospectheightsresident]

Originally Posted by KohalaTransplant

You do realize the Army Corp of Engineers is not a State or Count agency, right?

Originally Posted by prospectheightsresident

Botched response is right. I recall when I noted elsewhere that I fear the rebuilding is going to take years, which many property owners cannot afford to wait, which will subsequently lead to many selling and moving out of state. Some took issue with that and said that the state would move to quickly enable rebuilding But now reports are stating that the latest Army Corps of Engineers clearing process would take a year at least (and it hasn't even started); true, landowners can clear on their own, but the process would be fundamentally more expensive and inconvenient. Other reports I've read show residents frustrated with receiving little direction from the state on how to go about things, so this one year clearing process timeline will take even longer to even begin.

Folks, this is the Hawaii state and country government we're dealing with. Hawaii is a beautiful state, but government here is among the most corrupt, inept, and dangerously incompetent that I've experienced. And that's saying something. Still, as is the case with any democratic system, government will only be as good and effective as the citizens who elect and keep voting back the same kind of politician into office.

It would have been more helpful if you bolded the above bolded (on my end) section as well, which gives additional context and ties in the state/county role in things.

But, yes, I am fully aware that the Army Corps of Engineers is not a state or county agency. And to be clear, I'm not blaming the Army Corps of Engineers for anything; it'll take as long as it takes to clean something up . . . I only bring up the timeline associated with Army Corps of Engineers cleanup to show that things aren't going to be quick. But, as I noted, when residents are reporting that the state/county governments--which IS leading coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers--is not providing sufficient information on how to go about things (among other grievances), yes (assuming accurate) that touches on state and country ineptitude. To be clear, the Army Corps of Engineers has to receive permission from every landowner to conduct this next round of cleanup, but for something this size it seems that the state/county also play a coordinating role. And based on some of the reports I've seen, they are failing in that role quite miserably, further prolonging the process.

[Arktikos]

"...The report also revealed that fewer than half of the victims — 42 in all — were found inside buildings, while 39 were found outside. Fifteen others were found in vehicles, and one in the ocean. Three more people were taken to a hospital before being pronounced dead...

...A detailed timeline of events describes a series of calls to emergency dispatchers, reporting a fast-spreading fire at 2:55 p.m. Officers soon began evacuating neighboring areas, the report said.

But it does not explore the county’s delay before issuing a broader evacuation alert. The county made a decision not to use its all-hazards siren system and waited until 4:16 p.m. to send a cellphone evacuation alert. That alert was targeted at residential neighborhoods above the Honoapiʻilani Highway..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/u...on-deaths.html