Gov. Green announces appointment of new state fire marshal

A new State Fire Marshal has been selected after the position was left vacant for nearly 46 years.

Gov. Josh Green appointed Dori Booth. This appointment marks a historic return to a centralized approach to statewide fire protection — one that was strongly recommended by independent wildfire investigation reports following the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, according to a press release from the governor’s office this morning.

Booth brings more than two decades of leadership in fire safety and public service. Before her appointment, she served as Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction for the Sedona Fire District, and previously rose to Deputy Fire Marshal with the Phoenix Fire Department.

In these roles, she led major fire prevention programs, high-risk inspections, hazardous materials response, and public safety planning for large venues and airports. A U.S. Army veteran, Booth served in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, where she specialized in civil-military operations and infrastructure stability.

Her service earned her the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.

“Dori Booth steps into this role at a moment of incredible urgency — and with a mission that’s nothing short of transformative,” Green stated. “We are rebuilding an entire fire safety infrastructure at the state level, and Dori is at the center of it. She’ll need to navigate the complex division of responsibilities between the counties and the state, set up a new operational structure, and immediately implement top-priority reforms to protect our communities. It may sound like bureaucracy — but the goal is simple: save lives, protect property and keep Hawai‘i safe.”

According to the release, Booth has familiarized herself with the wildfire investigation reports by the Fire Safety Research Institute and will be leading the charge on executing the 10 priorities identified in the Phase II report.

“It’s an honor to step into this role at such a critical time for Hawaiʻi,” Booth said. “The lessons from the Maui wildfires are still fresh, and our responsibility is clear: We must do everything in our power to prevent future tragedies. That means stronger coordination, smarter planning, and a relentless focus on community safety. And when wildfires or other disasters cannot be prevented, we must be resilient — to protect Hawaiʻi’s most precious resources: its people, history, culture and places of deep significance. I’m committed to working with community members, county, state and federal partners — as well as our first responders — to build a fire protection system that reflects the strength and resilience of Hawaiʻi’s people.”

The original Office of the State Fire Marshal was abolished by Act 241 of the 1978 Session Laws of Hawaiʻi, with its responsibilities devolved to the counties as of July 1, 1979.

The fire marshal position was initially recreated by the 2024 Legislature to address the post-Maui wildfires third-party investigation reports initiated by the Department of the Attorney General, recommending a prioritized list of action items of changes to be made to improve Hawai‘i’s response to wildfires for the state and all counties.

The 2024 legislation was amended in the most recent session to, among other changes, place the office of the State Fire Marshal under the Department of Law Enforcement.

“The Fire Marshal will have a very important role in protecting our communities,” said Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert. “The Department of Law Enforcement looks forward to helping Dori be successful and we are honored that we have been entrusted to work with her side by side to keep Hawai‘i among the safest states in the nation.”