Criticism over the official response to the disaster mounts as people feel they are being left to fend for themselves
Hawaii’s chief legal officer is opening an investigation into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism of the official response grows.
Anne Lopez, Hawaii’s Attorney General, said her office would be examining “critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during and after the wildfires on Maui and Hawai’i islands this week”.
“My department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review.”
The announcement came as residents of Lahaina were allowed back into the town for the first time – with most finding their homes had been reduced to ashes, and even the lucky few angry at a sense of abandonment.