An Army combat veteran with high-level fire safety job experience in Arizona is Hawaii’s new state fire marshal.

A state council has appointed Dori Booth to the position leading an office resurrected by state lawmakers in 2024 in response to the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire disaster, which killed 102 people and destroyed most of Lahaina.

Gov. Josh Green announced Booth’s selection Monday and said it marks a historic return to a centralized approach to statewide fire protection in Hawaii.

“Dori Booth steps into this role at a moment of incredible urgency — and with a mission that’s nothing short of transformative,” Green said in a statement. “We are rebuilding an entire fire safety infrastructure at the state level, and Dori is at the center of it.”

Hawaii’s Legislature abolished a prior

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