Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez selected UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), a nonprofit research organization, to assess the policies and performance of state and county agencies in preparing for and responding to the Maui wildfires that resulted in significant loss of life and caused about $5.5 billion in damage. LAHAINA PHOTO BY HO‘ŌLA MAUI.

HONOLULU — Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Monday that her office continues to aggressively push the first phase of the independent investigation into the Maui wildfires forward. Critical facts are still needed from several key stakeholders for Phase 1 to be completed.

Phase 1 centers on fact-finding about how the fire incident unfolded. This phase will take approximately three months and include data gathering on important aspects of the incident. This phase will yield a comprehensive timeline to be the foundation of the analysis.

The timeline for the release of the Phase 1 findings is dependent on the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) gaining access to all facts before completing Phase 1 and a comprehensive scientific analysis on how the fire incident unfolded.

“Until that happens, this critical process cannot move forward,” said Attorney General Lopez.

Subpoenas have been served upon the Maui Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui Department of Public Works, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply. Subpoenas will allow the Attorney General to collect information in a timely manner.

“We appreciate the cooperation of the Maui fire and police departments, and while we continue to work through some issues, their leaders and line responders have been transparent and cooperative,” continued Lopez.

After obtaining the complete set of critical facts for FSRI review, the Office of the Attorney General will announce a revised date for sharing the Phase 1 results with the people of Hawaiʻi.

The Maui wildfires caused significant loss of life, more than $5.5 billion in damage, and continue to take an economic toll. To capture timely and accurate information while first responders can recall details of the wildfires, the FSRI team has been working within the impacted communities since the end of August. The willingness of Lahaina community members to share their stories is vital and appreciated.

“We have conducted more than 100 conversations and viewed more than 1,000 personal videos and images shared by many of the residents affected by the wildfires,” said Dr. Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director of FSRI, a research organization dedicated to addressing the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers.

“We are committed to investigating all of the facts, and that requires accessing real-time information as the fire situation unfolded.” The FSRI team has been scheduling time with local emergency services and federal, state, and local organizations that responded to the wildfires and can share their first-hand perspectives.

The purpose of the independent investigation announced in August 2023 is to find the facts and develop new policies and procedures to save lives and property in the future.

“I remain personally invested in representing the truth, ensuring a comprehensive, independent investigation and communicating throughout this process,” emphasized Attorney General Lopez. “Our communities expect and deserve a safer Hawaiʻi.”

Phase 2 will involve analysis of the data, determining how various fire protection systems functioned in this fire incident. This phase should be completed in approximately six months and will yield an Incident Analysis Report that includes review of policies and actions of state and county agencies in preparing for and responding to the incident.

Phase 3 will research best practices that incorporate additional data and recommendations for Hawaiʻi to take action toward prevention. This phase will yield a Forward-Looking Report to answer the question, “how do we prevent this from happening again?” It will include recommendations, strategies and tactical considerations from subject matter experts.

Once this phase is completed, approximately 12 months after the start of the investigation, a report of the findings and recommendations will be shared with the people of Hawaiʻi.