HONOLULU (NEWSnet/AP) — Additional equipment like fire trucks or water tankers would have helped the Maui Fire Department fight the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century last August, the agency said Tuesday.

Wildfires were burning in several locations in Maui on Aug. 8, 2023, stretching the department’s limited resources. A severe windstorm made battling the flames particularly difficult, and the blaze in Lahaina quickly tore through the historic town, killing 101 people and destroying thousands of homes.

The need for additional firefighting equipment is one of 17 recommendations included in an after-action report produced for the department by the Western Fire Chiefs Association. The report details what went well when the department responded in Lahaina, Olinda and Kula on Aug. 8, as well as improvements that can be made, Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Giesa said.

One of the recommendations in the report is that the department keep their relief fire equipment fully stocked, Ventura said. Other recommendations include creating a statewide mutual aid program and a statewide evacuation plan for residents who speak different languages.

Many of the factors that contributed to the disaster are already known: A windstorm battering the island had downed power lines and blown off parts of rooftops, and debris blocked roads throughout Lahaina.

Hawaiian Electric has acknowledged that one of its power lines fell and caused a fire in Lahaina the morning of Aug. 8, but the utility company denies that the morning fire caused the flames that burned through the town later that day.

The fire department’s after-action report comes one day before the Hawaii Attorney General is expected to release the first phase of a separate comprehensive investigation about the events before, during and after the fires.

The reports could help officials understand exactly what happened when the wind-whipped fire overtook the historic Maui town of Lahaina, destroying roughly 3,000 properties and causing more than $5.5 billion in estimated damage, according to state officials.

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