Emergency services chief on Maui resigns. He faced criticism for not activating sirens during fire

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and CHRISTOPHER WEBER
Associated Press

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — An emergency official who defended a decision to not sound outdoor alert sirens on Maui as a ferocious fire raged has resigned. Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya had said this week that he had no regrets about not deploying the system because he feared it could have caused people to go “mauka.” That’s a Hawaiian term that can mean toward the mountains or inland. And if the had gone in that direction, he said they would have run into the fire. On Thursday, he stepped down. The decision to not use the sirens, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route clogged with vehicles that were overrun by flames, has brought intense criticism from many residents.