Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report Released by the Attorney General of Hawaiߵi
Hawaiߵi state officials released the Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report, which is the first phase of an independent analysis conducted by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes. The report chronologically details the major events and response efforts related to the catastrophic fire that struck Lahaina, HI, on August 8–9, 2023.
In August 2023, shortly after the fire, Hawaiߵi Attorney General Anne E. Lopez selected FSRI for subject matter expertise in fire dynamics and structure-to-structure fire spread. After a site visit and initial consultation with FSRI researchers in Lahaina, Attorney General Lopez engaged FSRI to conduct a comprehensive, independent analysis of the Lahaina fire. This first report focuses on the events that occurred prior to, during, and immediately following the Lahaina fire, such as preparedness efforts, weather and its impact to infrastructure, and other fires occurring on Maui for the time period beginning at 14:55 (2:55 p.m. HST) on August 8, 2023, and concluding at 08:30 (8:30 a.m.) on August 9, 2023. Data from the three (3) other Maui fires is also included in specific sections to give context to the situation in Lahaina.
FSRI conducted an extensive data collection effort to establish a comprehensive timeline and fact base around the Lahaina fire. This report pieces together a detailed timeline of preparedness efforts, fire progression, evacuation activities, emergency response, and fire suppression actions based on a comprehensive array of data sources including radio communications and transcripts, video, images (still images or image capture from digital videos), emergency logs, technical discussions with authorities and residents, text and phone logs, email records, automatic vehicle location applications, social media posts, witness accounts, and corroborated personal experiences. Mapping and analysis illustrate how the fires moved from the wildland into Lahaina’s neighborhoods, rapidly transforming from a grassland fire into an urban conflagration.
Data collection for this report consisted of gathering all known available facts relating to the Lahaina fire as well as the preparedness efforts by the Maui Fire Department, Maui Police Department, Maui Emergency Management Agency, and state, federal and private cooperating agencies. These facts included time-stamped conditions (i.e., damage to buildings due to wind, fire, smoke, fallen trees and utility poles, traffic, etc.) and actions (i.e., evacuation, fire suppression, rescues, etc.). Data requests were prioritized by their value in establishing an event timeline and understanding the facts of the conditions existing prior to and during the incident. This data offers the most precise representation of the fire’s rate of spread through Lahaina and the corresponding response efforts.
“FSRI’s goal was to thoroughly document the facts around this tragic event to allow for subsequent analysis and lessons learned, While the phase one report does not analyze causation, it lays the critical foundation for examining the policies, practices, preparedness, and response that will ultimately improve public safety and resilience against similar fire disasters.”
—Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director, FSRI.
The resulting timeline in this first report will serve as the foundation for the Incident Analysis Report, which will be developed in the second phase of FSRI’s independent analysis. The second phase will provide detail on conditions influencing the original fire situation, attempts to stop its rapid progression through Lahaina Town, and evacuation efforts. Phase Two will leverage science and evidence-based analyses with information from FSRI’s fire dynamics research, local subject matter experts, industry standards and best practices, and the collective experiences of FSRI’s team.
Access the Minute-by-Minute Timeline
For additional materials related to the Lahaina fire, visit the State of Hawaiߵi Department of the Attorney General's website.
Abstract
On August 8-9, 2023, the town of Lahaina, Hawaiʻi (on the island of Maui), endured a devastating fire fueled by environmental conditions, leading to 101 fatalities, widespread destruction, and devastating community impacts. The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) conducted an extensive data collection effort to establish a comprehensive timeline and fact base around the Lahaina fires. This Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report (Phase 1) report focuses on the events that occurred prior to, during, and immediately following the Lahaina fire, such as preparedness efforts, weather and its impact to infrastructure, and other fires occurring on Maui for the time period beginning at 14:55 (2:55 p.m. HST) on August 8, 2023, and concluding at 08:30 (8:30 a.m.) on August 9, 2023. Data from the three (3) other Maui fires is also included in specific sections to give context to the situation in Lahaina.
Research Project: Maui Wildfires Analysis
Report Title: Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report
Report Authors: Steve Kerber and Derek Alkonis
Download the Report: https://doi.org/10.54206/102376/VQKQ5427
Access the Timeline: Lahaina Fire Minute-by-Minute Timeline
Release Date: April 17, 2024
