Ignore the warning – over 100 people died

Full screen

The meteorologist warned of a disaster in Hawaii.

But the fire chiefs didn't take the email seriously.

A few days later, more than a hundred people died in one of America's worst wildfires.

In August of last year, large-scale fires broke out on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

The fires spread quickly and a total of 102 people died.

This makes the natural disaster the deadliest in Hawaii since the island group became a U.S. state.

State Attorney General Anne Lopez later announced that an investigation had been opened into authorities' handling of the fire disaster.

“My administration is committed to understanding the decisions made before and during the wildfires and sharing the results of this review with the public,” she said at the time.

The investigation now shows that authorities were warned before the disaster struck, but no measures were taken, the Associated Press reported.

Full screen

No sirens heard

A meteorologist at the US equivalent of SMHI is said to have already sounded the alarm on August 4 about the danger of wildfires, warning that disaster could erupt in four days.

But fire chiefs did nothing, according to the investigation.

Neither the emergency services nor the police authority should have taken any measures, such as deploying additional personnel, placing supplies in high-risk areas, or planning for possible evacuations.

When the wildfires broke out on August 8, they moved quickly, while Hawaii's natural disaster warning systems were not working.

Among other things, it was said that no sirens were heard, and many people only realized the danger when they saw the flames and heard the explosions.

Many residents were trapped in their homes or cars, with no way to escape the fires.

Full screen

Investigators: It should have been taken seriously.

The investigation suggests fire chiefs should have taken the meteorologist's warning more seriously.

“Had the email’s harsh tone been shared with fire chiefs in other states with more sophisticated strategies for severe weather preparedness, it would have received greater attention and led to discussions and action,” investigators wrote in their report.

They also wrote: “It was a call to Hawaii fire authorities to prepare for the approaching severe weather.”