An oversight in the state attorney general's examination of the deadly 2023 Lahaina wildfire has come to light, pointing to a missed opportunity that may have life or death implications. A critical padlocked gate along Kuhua Street, which saw the largest cluster of fatalities in last year's Maui fire, wasn't part of the initial evacuation planning analysis. This detail was uncovered following a recent report by Honolulu Civil Beat, raising questions about the thoroughness of the probe.
The gate, now at the center of the attorney general's widening investigation, was a barrier to those residents trapped and attempting to escape as the blaze engulfed the Lahaina area, leading to the deaths of at least 102 individuals. The locked gate impeded the evacuees' route, rendering their vehicles virtually useless in their time of desperate flight. "It is weird, if their investigation is really thorough, that they missed it," former Kuhua Street resident Kirk Boes told Honolulu Civil Beat.
The detailed follow-up by Civil Beat caught the attention of the attorney general's office, prompting it to re-evaluate the situation. Toni Schwartz, a spokesperson for the attorney general, acknowledged the oversight, stating that the gate on Kuhua Street "was not mentioned" to the investigators from the Fire Safety Research Institute that is responsible for the multipart investigation into the wildfire's events, according to a communication with Hawaii News Now.
The AG's office is focused on uncovering details about the wildfire as it moves into the third phase of the investigation, utilizing photographic evidence from Civil Beat. Schwartz mentioned that these photos and their data are important for understanding what happened near the Kuhua Street gate, which was not fully covered in the previous report on the evacuation effort.
Maui's emergency management officials are developing a system to allow responders to quickly open evacuation routes during crises.
