The fight over water is nothing new on Maui. But the impact on the county’s ability to battle fires is coming clear.
With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late.
Seems like pretty clear-cut manslaughter at the least.
If you reduced the scale to one person on fire and someone standing next to him blocking access to a hose, it’s undeniable that one party knowingly caused the other’s death.