Hawaii attorney general opens probe into wildfire response, as Maui death toll rises to 80

Hawaii’s attorney general has opened a probe into the response to the wildfires that devastated portions of Maui this week, as the death toll continues to climb.

Attorney General Anne Lopez said on Friday that her department would conduct a “comprehensive review” of the “critical decision-making and standing policies” before, during and after the fires.

“The Department of the Attorney General shares the grief felt by all in Hawaiʻi, and our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy,” Lopez said in a statement. 

“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,” she added. “As we continue to support all aspects of the ongoing relief effort, now is the time to begin this process of understanding.”

Maui County said early Saturday morning that the death toll from the wildfires had risen to 80, making it the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaiian state history. 

Mayor Richard Bissen compared the destruction of the island to a “war zone” on Friday, after surveying the damage in the hard-hit town of Lahaina with state officials.

“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off. It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground. Most structures no longer exist,” Bissen said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”