Firefighters Reportedly Struggled to Find Water as They Battled the Deadly Maui Fires

The water system reportedly failed as first responders battled the raging wildfire that spread from the outskirts of Lahaina into the historic town

Firefighters dealt with a failing water system that was no match for the raging, deadly Maui wildfire as it spread from the outskirts of Lahaina and into the historic town the week of Aug. 7, according to The New York Times.

As first responders struggled to fight the flames and battled fierce hurricane-force winds, the out-of-control fire moved quickly from the hillside east of town and into Lahaina during the early part of last week — and they were virtually helpless.

“There was just no water in the hydrants,” Keahi Ho, one of the firefighters on duty at the time, told the Times.

Edwin Lindsey III, who sits on the county’s Board of Water Supply, told the outlet that the situation was “demoralizing” for the firefighters, who have long had issues on the island regarding accessible water in Lahaina, which comes from surface water in a creek and groundwater pumped from wells, per the Times.

Related: Estimated 1K People Missing in Hawaii amid Wildfires: It Was ‘Impossible’ to Warn Them

In addition, much of the water system had been depressurized due to the fire's impact. Pipes inside homes even began to melt, according to the outlet.

“The water was leaking out of the system,” John Stufflebean, the county’s director of water supply, told the Times.

Related: Oprah Winfrey Promises to Make 'Major Donation' to Maui Following Devastating Wildfires

Now, nearly a week later — and as the death toll continues to rise — authorities have issued an unsafe water advisory, asking area residents to avoid drinking or bathing in water in the Lahaina and Upper Kula areas, according to the County of Maui’s Facebook update on Monday.

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“The advisory remains in effect for certain areas until further notice and states that residents should not drink and/or boil water,” the county said. “Bottled water should be used for all drinking, brushing teeth, ice making and food preparation until further notice. Residents are unable to treat the water in any way to make it safe.”

In addition, water buffalo tankers with drinkable water are stationed at various locations in the Upcountry and West Maui areas, according to the county.

Related: 8-Year-Old's Central Park Lemonade Stand Raises Money to Help Friend Who Lost Home in Maui Wildfires

Boat Captain Christina Lovett, of Lahaina, highlighted the current lack of water and basic necessities for residents when talking about her own rescue efforts to PEOPLE.

"I want people to know, I do respect the government, but it just seems like the community is helping out way more right now to the people that are cut off," she says. "I understand that Lahaina's town is gone, but there's a whole community of three or four towns north of it that are just completely cut off from food, water, electricity."

Along with reports that firefighters lacked access to water, concerns have been raised that Hawaii's outdoor siren system was also silent during the fires.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub told CNN that "nobody at the state and nobody at the county attempted to activate those sirens based on our records," and that "it was largely a function of how fast the flames were moving."

With wind gusts "up to 80 miles an hour," Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen told NBC's TODAY last Friday that "everything happened so quickly" and that he couldn't "comment on whether or not the sirens sounded or not."

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