Maui Police Disclose 16-Minute Body Camera Video Relating to Lahaina Wildfire Incident

During a press briefing held on Monday, Maui police unveiled a 16-minute compilation of body camera footage captured on the fateful day in August when a devastating wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina. The footage includes scenes of officers successfully evacuating 15 individuals from a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf outlet and rushing a man with severe burn injuries to a medical facility.

Chief John Pelletier indicated that the department was nearing a deadline to make public 20 hours of relevant body camera footage, as per an open records request. The Chief expressed the desire to offer contextual information to the public in advance of the video’s full release.

Earlier in the month, Maui County had supplied the Associated Press with audio recordings of 911 calls, also in accordance with an open records request.

The edited video footage, showcased during the news conference in Wailuku, features officers evacuating a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf establishment located within a supermarket on Front Street—a neighborhood that was largely consumed by the fire. Amid billowing smoke, officers escorted 15 patrons from the coffee shop, loaded them into police vehicles, and transported them to the Lahaina Civic Center for safety.

In a separate clip, one officer is seen coming upon a man who had sustained serious burns at a shopping complex. The man is promptly placed in the rear seat of the patrol vehicle, with the officer ascertaining his consent to be directly driven to the hospital.

Additional footage depicts an officer fastening a tow strap to a metal gate that obstructed a dirt road, providing an escape route. Meanwhile, residents used a saw to dismantle the gate, enabling a line of vehicles to pass through. Several segments also portray officers engaging in door-to-door evacuations to alert residents of the impending danger.

The wildfire, which transpired on August 8, resulted in a minimum of 99 fatalities and destroyed more than 2,000 structures. Survivors narrated their experiences of encountering obstacles, such as roadblocks and fallen utility poles, which hindered their escape routes.

As of now, the cause of the fire remains subject to ongoing investigation. Preliminary inquiries suggest that downed electrical lines igniting dry, invasive vegetation may have been a contributing factor. An investigation by the Associated Press hints that the source might be traced to an overgrown gully situated beneath power lines operated by the Hawaiian Electric Co. The fire initially broke out in the morning and was subsequently rekindled by strong afternoon winds.

Meteorological conditions, specifically strong winds associated with a hurricane passing to the south of Hawaii, exacerbated the fire’s spread by dispersing embers from one residential structure to another, hindering the fire department’s ability to deploy helicopters for aerial firefighting.

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More about Maui Lahaina Wildfire Body Camera Footage

• Maui Police Department Official Website
• Open Records Act Information
• Associated Press Lahaina Wildfire Coverage
• Wailuku News Conference Summary
• Hawaiian Electric Co. Investigation Report
• Weather Conditions During Lahaina Wildfire
• Evacuation Protocols and Public Safety Guidelines
• Lahaina Civic Center Evacuation Center Information
• 911 Call Recordings Release Details