In this special report on the aftermath of the wildfire in Lahaina, Scripps News sat down for an in-depth, one-on-one interview with Gov. Josh Green. Correspondent James Packard asked him whether he expects criminal charges to come, why sirens weren’t activated sooner and what will change going forward.
Gov. Green spoke about the pressing need to house the displaced.
"Within two weeks, we got everyone out of the conjugate shelters, which was big gymnasiums, that kind of thing," Green told Scripps News. "But living in a hotel forever is not a solution. So we're moving people into longer-term rentals. We may lean more heavily into asking people who do AirBnB short-term rentals to offer them for 18 months."
"But we'll still have to build," Green said. "I just came from a groundbreaking, but even those houses are probably 15 months out from being available."
Gov. Green also explained how climate change is hurting Hawaii, and his plan to generate $150 million in revenue from a new tax on people traveling into and out of the state.
Maui police release bodycam footage from day of deadly Lahaina fire
The fast-moving Aug. 8 fire, fueled by high ocean winds, killed at least 99 people and destroyed more than 2,000 structures.
