The massive, unprecedented Lahaina, Maui, fire disaster calls for a special public investigation into all the circumstances surrounding this multibillion-dollar, harrowing tragedy.
Besides the huge and yet-to-be-fully-determined number of human and other lives lost, there already are reports of a breakdown of warning systems and the failure of administrative agencies charged with monitoring and responding to events such as this one.
The excuse now being touted is that this disaster came out of left field and was “impossible to forecast.” It’s a thin excuse that sounds and smells like bureaucratic bungling and a possible cover-up.
Before evidence starts disappearing, the public is entitled to get all of the facts in a responsible, far-reaching, comprehensive inquiry comparable to that of the Jan. 6 committee.
To this end, the Legislature should be called into emergency session and the matter of the tragic fire fully addressed: an independent committee assembled, terms of reference and procedures set, funds allocated and public hearings started without delay.
Jim Anthony
Kaneohe
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