Maui wildfires News

After Wildfire, Hawaii Fire Crews Take Stock of Their Ability to Communicate in a Crisis

Fire departments across the state are reevaluating their emergency communication capabilities after the Maui wildfires, when the vulnerability of the island’s cellular network — and a lack of advanced communication tools in fire vehicles — complicated efforts by first responders …

Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season

As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh Green said in …

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised …

Lawyers Handling Lawsuits Over Maui Wildfires to Get Investigation Documents

A judge on Friday forced the Hawaii attorney general’s office to turn over to lawyers involved in the hundreds of lawsuits over last summer’s Maui wildfires all documents, interviews and data collected by the outside team hired to investigate the …

Maui Sues Cell Carriers Over Failure of Wildfire Warning Alerts During Outage

Had emergency responders known about widespread cellphone outages during the height of last summer’s deadly Maui wildfires, they would have used other methods to warn about the disaster, county officials said in a lawsuit. Alerts the county sent to cellphones …

Hawaii Governor Sets up Climate and Disaster Team to Develop Resilience Policy

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has formed a Climate Advisory Team (CAT) made up of experts and stakeholders to deal with the challenges of climate disasters and to build a roadmap for the state’s strategy to mitigate the financial impact of …

Top West Insurance Journal Stories of 2023

Insurers pulling back from an increasingly risky California market grabbed the attention of Insurance Journal readers this year. This was the subject of the top four most popular stories in Insurance Journal’s West region in 2023. Eight articles on this …

Hawaii Governor’s First Budget After Maui Wildfire Includes Funds for Recovery and Fire Prevention

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he was requesting $425 million from lawmakers during the next fiscal year to help Maui recover from August’s wildfires, and millions more to reduce the risk of wildfires statewide. The proposed budget is Green`s first …

Hawaii Electric’s Insurance is Fraction of Potential Fire Claims

Nearly two months after the deadly Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric Co. revealed the limited scope of insurance coverage it holds in the face of potentially billions of dollars in damage claims. Hawaiian Electric has $165 million in annual general liability …

Many US Cities Vulnerable to Low Water Pressure Amid Wildfire Dangers

Hours before devastating fires scorched the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Kyle Ellison labored to save his rental house in Kula, a rural mountain town 24 miles away, from a different blaze. As high winds whipped burning trees and …