Two Months later: Maui County still won't say who was in charge during Lahaina fire
Lahaina, MAUI — A representative from the Maui County Joint Operations Center responded to an Island News request, asking who was directing Maui County's emergency response between the critical hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The rep responded to the inquiry on Saturday, September 16, saying that the information was available, however, Maui County would not authorize its release.
Maui County also will not release information on any evacuations that may have been ordered by either the Fire Department or Police Department in the field — or by the Emergency Operations Center on Aug. 8.
Since the first press conference, reporters pressed the mayor on the messaging from Maui County which rolled out on Aug. 8.
One reporter questioned Mayor Richard Bissen about directives that some locals received to "shelter in place" on the afternoon of the fire.
"I'm going to guess that the person you spoke to was a visitor," Bissen said. "You spoke to a visitor if they were asked to shelter in place."
But contrary to the mayor's statement, at the height of the self evacuation from Lahaina town, Maui County's Facebook page posted at 4:56 p.m. the following:
"People on the westside are advised to shelter in place unless evacuations are ordered."
Bissen characterized the statement accurately, "So yes, people were asked to stay in their hotels and not leave. The residents were evacuated. Those are the folks that we took out of there."
Were evacuations ordered in the 3, 4 and 5 p.m. hours? Maui County has never presented evidence to support the claim.
The County also won't answer questions about who was active in the Emergency Operations Center.