A land administration official criticized Hawaii state water officials for spending hours consulting with farmers before finally sending water to fight the deadly firestorm.
The wildfire that broke out in the city of Lahaina on August 8 is now the deadliest in more than a century and the fifth-biggest on record for the United States
On the day the fires broke out, the West Maui Land Company — which operates various agricultural and residential estates — made desperate inquiries to the Hawaii Commission On Water Rescue Management.
Glenn Tremble, an executive at West Maui Land Company, puts it succinctly, ‘We have been following the process.’ The process has failed us.’
Several hours passed with no help because the commission – which shortly afterwards “reassigned” Deputy Director M. Kaleo Manuel – claimed it had been forced to seek approval from local farmers. Help came only after the damage had already been done.
A land administration official criticized Hawaii state water officials for spending hours consulting with farmers before finally sending water to fight the deadly firestorm
Several hours passed with no help because the commission – which shortly afterwards “reappointed” Deputy Director M. Kaleo Manuel (pictured) – claimed it had been forced to seek approval from local farmers. Help came only after the damage had already been done
The company wrote a letter to Manuel on Aug. 10 expressing its displeasure.
“No one is happy that there was water in the creeks while our homes, our businesses, our lands and our lives were reduced to rubble.”
According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Manuel, who championed the idea of ”water justice” in his role, was reassigned after the fires.
Many criticized him for a social media clip ahead of the fires, in which he said, “My motto has always been let the water unite, not divide. We can share it, but it requires real conversations about justice.”
The department refused to admit that Manuel had made any mistakes in announcing his transfer.
“The purpose of this deployment is to allow CWRM and the Department to focus on the work needed to help the people of Maui recover from the devastating wildfires,” the statement said.
“This deployment does not indicate that First Deputy Manuel did anything wrong.” DLNR encourages the media and public not to make judgments until all the facts are known.”
On Thursday, in a recorded message aired on ABC’s Good Morning America, President Joe Biden vowed to offer aid to Maui “for as long as it takes.”
Glenn Tremble, an executive at West Maui Land Company, puts it succinctly, “We’ve been following the process.” The process has let us down.
The wildfire that broke out in the city of Lahaina on August 8 is now the deadliest in more than a century and the fifth-biggest on record for the United States
Meet M. Kaleo Manuel, the officer who refused to drain water on Maui, resulting in up to 106 deaths.
Kaleo studies Hawaiian Studies and prefers a traditional, holistic “One Water” approach that values water, not uses it.
Water requires ‘real talks about justice’ pic.twitter.com/4AzVZNwkHk
— Jeremy Kauffman 🦔 (@jeremykauffman) August 16, 2023
Biden will travel to Maui on Monday, the White House finally announced this week. This comes as the death toll surpassed 100 and new questions about the response emerged.
“The entire nation is with you as you recover, rebuild and mourn,” he said.
“We will be with you for as long as necessary, I promise you,” the president added. He pointed out that the federal government has already taken action to send hundreds of rescue workers and thousands of meals and supplies to the historic tourist city devastated by the flames.
About 2,200 buildings were destroyed by the inferno and about 1,300 people are still missing.
Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of a visit to East Palestine, Ohio — where a train derailed and toxic chemicals spilled, displacing hundreds of people. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio city but never did.
“President Biden has completely ignored the people of East Palestine.” Now he’s treating the people of Maui the same way,” R-Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan wrote on X, formerly of Twitter.
Teams are expected to have continued searching the charred debris and have used cadaver dogs to search for survivors.
Hours later, a reporter asked Biden at the White House, “Can you tell us about your trip to Hawaii?”
“No, not now,” Biden said, adding that he would be there on Monday.
This comes as he returned to work on Monday after a weekend at the beach after not commenting on the tragedy that weekend.
According to the White House, the President is scheduled to arrive in Lake Tahoe on Friday, August 18 and remain there until the following Thursday. The visit is now interrupted by the trip to Hawaii.
President Biden returns to the White House Monday from a weekend in Rehoboth Beach and will not answer questions about the Hawaii wildfires
President Biden was silent on the subject.
When he arrived back at the White House Monday afternoon after spending the weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, he did not answer reporters’ questions. During that trip, he was criticized by Republicans for not commenting on the wildfires that killed 96 people.
The President was on his way to the beach with friends when asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii.
“No comment,” he replied.
While previously biking with his wife Jill, he was asked if he was visiting the state.
“We’re looking at it,” he said.
Biden and his team may have felt they had reasons to avoid the press other than dealing with the national tragedy. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that he had appointed David Weiss as special counsel for the investigation into Hunter Biden. Prosecutors said in a filing filed Friday they expected the president’s son’s case to go to court.
Biden was on vacation at Rehoboth Beach for a week earlier this month. He is traveling to Nevada for his second summer vacation.
The topic is the annual joint military exercises of the three nations, but the fight against China and North Korea will also be in focus.
The White House has not said what Biden will do during his time at Lake Tahoe.
During his stay in Rehoboth, he and the first lady went biking, lounged on the beach, and even went on a date to see the movie “Oppenheimer.”
The freshwater Lake Tahoe area is known for its beaches, ski resorts and state parks. In summer it is known for hiking, fishing, boating and golfing. There is also plenty of shopping.
Burned trees and ruined houses are the remains of a fire in Lahaina, Hawaii
Oprah Winfrey visited IDP residences on Maui
Meanwhile, the Hawaii governor warned that the death toll is likely to rise as search parties go street by street through neighborhoods where the blaze has wreaked havoc.
“We are prepared for many tragic stories,” Gov. Josh Green told CBS Mornings. “You’ll probably find 10 to 20 people a day until they’re done.” And it’ll probably take 10 days. It’s really impossible to guess.’
With cell service slowly being restored, the number of missing people has dropped from more than 2,000 to about 1,300, Green said.
Biden agreed to a state of emergency declaration that frees up federal bailout funds and deploys FEMA officers.
But people on the island complain that federal aid is still pending.
“The response from our well-funded, tax-paying government is incredibly pathetic,” said Paul Romero, who owns a gym in Kihei.
He told the New York Times, “We can’t even understand what they did, what they didn’t do, what they still don’t do.”
The fire that swept across Lahaina nearly a week ago destroyed almost every building in the town of 13,000 and left the coastal town in ruins. According to the district, the fire was contained by 85%. Another fire, known as the “Upcountry Fire,” has been 60% contained, officials told the Associated Press.
Damage was estimated at $5.6 billion.
The damage from the wildfire is estimated at $5.6 billion
The governor of Hawaii has warned the death toll from the devastating fires could rise
Many people gathered at War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which served as housing. Among those in attendance was Oprah Winfrey, who told Hawaii News Now that she had been delivering toiletries, towels and water for the past few days.
The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, but the dry summer and winds from passing hurricanes fueled the blazes that swept across Maui.