In response to the inferno that swept through Lahaina, Maui on Aug. 8, the Seattle Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has sought the expertise of the ATF’s National Response Team to unravel the origin and cause of the fire.
The team, composed of specialists from the Honolulu Field Office and the Seattle Field Division, arrived on the island on Thursday to collaborate with local authorities and partners in the investigation.
The Lahaina fire led to over 114 known deaths so far, and many missing people. Locals say the known dead are well over 400, and are being underreported, and that the local morgues have run out of body bags.
The disaster prompted the ATF to engage its resources to support the Maui County Fire Department officials in their efforts to ascertain the cause and source of the fire.
However, the agency will not be exploring potential criminal aspects in their investigation, the Seattle branch of AFT said. Other agencies may be looking into those criminal aspects.
The squad dispatched for this mission consists of an electrical engineer from the ATF Fire Research Laboratory, two Certified Fire Investigators (CFI) and a CFI candidate from the Honolulu Field Office, and an Arson and Explosives Group Supervisor from the Seattle Field Division. Also on site now are U.S. Marshal officers, and special agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
This deployment marks the 21st activation of the National Response Team during this fiscal year and the 910th since its inception in 1978.
The NRT’s track record includes participation in investigations of incidents such as the ship fire on the Grande Costa D’Avorio in 2023, the Nashville “Christmas Day” bombing, multiple fire scenes resulting from civil unrest across the Midwest in 2020, the series of bombings in Austin, Texas, in 2018, as well as national-level tragedies including the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. The team also investigated the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The culmination of their findings results in an “Origin and Cause Report” that is eventually submitted to local officials and may be released to the public voluntarily or under pressure.
