House Panel Probes FEMA’s Response to Maui Fire

House Committee investigates FEMA’s response to Maui fire, seeks transparency on disaster assistance programs, and questions allocation of federal resources.

Burned cars and homes in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A House committee has sent an inquiry to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell asking for details about how assistance programs have been implemented following the fire in Maui, Hawaii.

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) issued the letter (pdf) launching an investigation into FEMA’s response to the early August fire on Sept. 7, asking that the agency offer clarification and transparency regarding the allocation and effectiveness of federal resources deployed to address the disaster and provide relief to affected communities.