Introduction: Wildfires can pose a great threat, especially when the community and emergency responders are not prepared for a mass incident, as demonstrated by the 2023 wildfires that spread through the island of Maui. On August 8th, 2023, Maui was experiencing a severe drought when high winds caused by Hurricane Dora led to the rapid spread of wildfires. Some of the wildfires reached thousands of acres in size and lasted for several days, causing at least $5.5 billion in damages. The town of Lahaina was the most heavily impacted, with 102 fatalities and many more losing their homes. More than 80% of Lahaina’s buildings were destroyed, accounting for some of the 2,200 structures that were damaged as a result of the fires.
This Emergency Disaster Plan is intended to outline the roles, communication plans, and agreements among emergency management officials to respond and recover from a wildfire disaster effectively.