Maui Fire Department report on deadly wildfire details need for more equipment and mutual aid plans

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, REBECCA BOONE and CLAUDIA LAUER
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across the Hawaiian island of Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their fire engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking one person at a time away from danger. But an after-action report released Tuesday says that despite devoting nearly every all the personnel and vehicles it had to the effort, the department was outmatched by the unprecedented blazes that left 101 people dead in Lahaina. The report makes more than 100 recommendations including adding more equipment. The Hawaii Attorney General is expected to release another report Wednesday.