Interim Maui emergency management director hired after deadly wildfires

An interim director has been hired to head Maui Emergency Management Agency following devastating wildfires and the resignation of the agency's top official, Maui County said Friday.

Darryl Oliveira, the former administrator of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, will serve as interim administrator for Maui Emergency Management Agency, which is still dealing with the aftermath of wildfires this month that have killed at least 115 people.

Thousands of buildings have been destroyed or damaged, including in the West Maui town of Lahaina, in the fires that broke out on Aug. 8.

Friday’s hiring comes a little more than a week after Herman Andaya, the former head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, resigned.

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The hiring of Darryl Oliveira comes after the previous emergency management administrator, Herman Andaya, resigned after defending the decision to not sound sirens to warn of the fires.