The chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Herman Andaya, resigned from his position on Thursday following criticism of the agency's response to the Lahaina fire. The fire has claimed the lives of at least 111 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century. The mayor's office announced Andaya's resignation, stating that it was due to "health reasons," but no further details were provided. The resignation came a day after Andaya defended the decision not to activate the island's alert sirens during the fire.

Mayor Richard Bissen expressed the urgency of filling the vacant position, given the severity of the crisis. Andaya was scheduled to attend a meeting of the fire and public safety commission on Thursday morning, but the meeting was abruptly canceled. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise, and emergency responders have only combed through 40 percent of the burn area in Lahaina. The search is expected to take at least another week, with over a thousand people still unaccounted for.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Andaya explained his decision not to activate the sirens, stating that the public is trained to seek higher ground in the event of a siren sounding. He further argued that the sirens are typically used for tsunamis or approaching storms, not wildfires. However, the state government's website lists wildfires as one of the events that the outdoor siren system is designed to alert residents about. Andaya stated that the agency's protocol for wildfires involves using Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System, both of which were reportedly ineffective due to power outages in the area.

Public safety records reviewed by NBC News revealed that Andaya had downplayed the importance of the outdoor siren system in the past. He defended his qualifications and previous experience, stating that he had served as the chief of staff to the mayor of Maui County before being hired as the head of MEMA in 2017. However, CBS News reported that Andaya has "no background" in disaster response.

Former Maui County mayor Alan Arakawa expressed disappointment over Andaya's resignation, stating that he believed Andaya was qualified for the position. Arakawa also mentioned that Andaya had been heartbroken by the events surrounding the fire. Andaya, who was not on the island when the fire broke out, had been attending a conference in Oahu.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, and Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, has requested a comprehensive review of the disaster. Anne Lopez, the state's attorney general, will lead the review, which is expected to take months. Lopez emphasized that the review would be impartial and conducted by a third-party organization experienced in emergency management.

As the search for victims continues, federal personnel, including cadaver dogs, are being deployed to comb through the burn area. The number of people unaccounted for is estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,300. FEMA, the Red Cross, the Hawaii National Guard, and U.S. Army reservists are among the entities providing support and assistance in the aftermath of the fire.