September 25, 2024

County’s MFD receives ATF report; public release set for next week

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) received the Lahaina Fire Summary of Findings and Conclusions report from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura was briefed by ATF on the report today, Sept. 25, 2024.

MFD is in the process of integrating the information from ATF's investigative report into its Cause and Origin report and will share the ATF report in its entirety as an appendix.

MFD will present a summary of key findings via live-streamed press conference next Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, and will release the Cause and Origin Report for the Lahaina wildfires of August 8, 2023, to the public at the conclusion of the press conference. Details on the news conference will be distributed prior to the event.

“We are thankful for the scientific and comprehensive work of the ATF,” MFD Fire Chief Brad Ventura said. “We recognize the importance of releasing this information to the public, and my team and I are working diligently to integrate the findings into our Cause and Origin report so this complex fire analysis can be shared.”