HONOLULU (KHON2) — Both the state and Maui County now say that the sirens were never activated when the wildfires engulfed Lahaina.
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Residents have been asking why they never heard the emergency sirens when the flames approached their homes and businesses. The county and the state have not said if the sirens were activated.
Now the state and county say they weren’t activated because the sirens are normally used for other types of natural disasters.
“Generally speaking, we do not have sirens for fires. I don’t know if anybody in any other state does. The sirens tell you to go in and turn on your television and listen to the news reports. It’s usually for tsunami warnings and hurricanes,” said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.
A spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency confirmed that neither the state nor Maui County activated the sirens that day. He adds that warning systems that go to televisions, radios, and cellphones were sent out.
