cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/435616
https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fires-timeline-maui-lahaina-road-block-c8522222f6de587bd14b2da0020c40e9
Cause of death: climate change, cops, cars
“So the police were blocking roads, the exit, some of the exit roads out,” he says. “And I’m assuming it’s because there’s been some downed power lines or some downed trees.” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier confirmed that at a news conference two weeks later. "We did not close or forbid people from getting out of Lahaina,” Pelletier said. “If there was a downed power line that was live, we wanted to make sure that you didn’t go over a downed live power line.”
“The gridlock would have left us there when the firestorm came,” said Cuevas-Reyes, 38. “I would have had to tell my children to jump into the ocean as well and be boiled alive by the flames or we would have just died from smoke inhalation and roasted in the car.”
Good lord. That's like the cardinal rule when dealing with somebody who has been hurt, you don't fucking move them unless you absolutely have to and you keep them as immobilized as you can if you do have to. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised american police don't receive even basic first aid training, they're not really there to save lives.