Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, and anger grows

"I'm not going to make any excuses for this tragedy," Hirono, a Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union." The death toll surpassed 2018's Camp Fire in California, which virtually wiped the small town of Paradise off the map and killed 86 people. In its emergency management plan last year, the State of Hawaii described the risk wildfires posed to people as being "low." No emergency sirens sounded, and many Lahaina residents spoke of learning about the blaze from neighbors running down the street or seeing it for themselves. When asked about growing anger at the response, Hirono told CNN she understood the frustration because "we are in a period of shock and loss."