Our infrastructure was sadly lacking last week.

The New York Times reported that fire hydrants in Lahaina ran out of water. This could happen in any big fire on Maui.

Maui Electric Co. told the Wall Street Journal that Maui has “a resilient power grid.” But they admitted that there’s no way to turn off the grid and still power the water pumps and other services that first responders need.

Large cities track and broadcast constantly during emergencies. They also have resilient, disaster-resistant internet and cellphone systems.

My father’s property in the Los Angeles hills was inspected yearly by the fire department. LAFD sent out letters to everyone in high-fire-risk areas, saying if brush/grass regulations weren’t met, they would do it, and charge landowners for it.

People in our community, as well as the entire U.S., have experience and knowledge to share.

What policy and infrastructure changes will we see on Maui, and when?

Amy Muramatsu

Makawao