Maui Emergency Official Defends Not Sounding Island’s 80 Warning Sirens as Fire Engulfed Island Amid Death Toll Reaching 111

The man in command of the Maui Emergency Management Agency is defending his decision not to use the island’s vast network of alarms to warn residents about deadly wildfires last week.

Officials on the island are searching for hundreds of people still missing following the devastating blazes in Hawaii.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Wednesday that 111 people are confirmed dead, according to CNN.

Many on the island have raised questions about whether that number should be much lower.

There are 80 sirens on Maui that are generally used for tsunami warnings but could have been used to warn people as the fires spread to Lahaina on Maui’s west coast, CNN reported.

The alarms were never activated when fires spread beyond control last week.

Herman Andaya, administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, doubled down on the decision not to use them on Wednesday while addressing the media.

When he was asked if he regretted not using the sirens, he said, “I do not.”

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