Photo: County Of Maui, Hawaii
Maui Emergency Management Administrator Herman Andaya resigned one day after defending his decision not to activate the emergency warning sirens during the catastrophic wildfires on the island.
Andaya cited health reasons for his abrupt resignation, which takes effect immediately.
When asked about his decision not to activate the warning sirens, Andaya said he was concerned that people would hear them and seek high ground because the warning sirens are mainly used for tsunamis.
"We were afraid people would have gone 'mauka,'" Andaya told reporters, using a Hawaiian word for mountainside. "And if that was the case, they would have gone into the fire."
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said that officials are working to find a replacement as quickly as possible.
"Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible,"
The wildfires have killed 111 people, but officials expect the death toll to rise as search teams continue to comb through the debris and rubble from the burned-out areas of the island.