Well, that’s a complicated question. This is a tragedy in the fullest sense. It was a weather phenomena that created strong winds, combined with a typical upcountry summer grass type fire, that was driven into a highly susceptible part of town with dense housing.

The navy, coast guard, and local fire authorities responded in haste, but this fire was fueled by strong winds and moved incredibly quickly. So quickly people had to jump into the ocean to out run the fire, and others were trapped in their cars attempting escape.

Maui has limited fire fighting resources, and coordination between counties is difficult as an island state.