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Maui’s emergency services chief resigned Thursday amid growing criticism over his handling of the catastrophic wildfire.

Herman Andaya’s departure came a day after he defended his decision not to activate sirens during the emergency evacuation. Andaya asserts that these sirens are typically reserved for tsunami warnings.

When asked directly if he regretted not sounding the siren, Andaya said “no.”

As of Thursday, rescue teams searched through at least 45% of the burn area. So far the death toll of the Maui wildfire is 111 people, but officials say that number is expected to rise as the searches continue.

Thousands of Maui residents have been placed in shelters, hotels, and AirBnB units.