Maui’s Lahaina Fire: Tracing the Source and Unfolding Story of the Wildfires

At least 55 people have been murdered by wildfires on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and the Big Island.

Thousands of locals and visitors have also been evacuated, and the ancient resort city of Lahaina has been completely destroyed. Here are some pertinent queries and responses regarding the catastrophe.

The flames, which began on Tuesday night, still have not been given a cause. Though it rescinded the warnings late on Wednesday, the National Weather Service had previously issued them for the Hawaiian Islands due to high winds and dry weather, which are ideal for flames.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, people are responsible for around 85% all wildfires in the country. Volcanic activity and lightning are examples of natural causes.

Less than 1% of fires in Hawaii, according to Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, have natural causes.There are six active volcanoes in the Hawaiian Islands, one of which is on Maui.

This summer’s record-breaking heat has contributed to extremely devastating wildfires in western Canada and Europe. Extreme weather events have become stronger and more common as a result of climate change, according to scientists.

Authorities in the United States claim that winds from Hurricane Dora, which is hundreds of miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, have fanned the flames throughout the state.

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Contributing Factors to Hawaii’s Wildfires

The low-pressure system to the west of Japan is also a factor in the high persistent winds, in addition to Dora. Another cause is the dry vegetation.

Large volumes of small, easily ignited debris have been produced as a result of the growth of flammable non-native grasses like Guinea grass in regions of former agriculture and woodland, raising the risk and severity of fire.

In Hawaii, these grasses make up 26% of the land, according to Pickett.

The fires have left Lahaina, a seaside resort town of roughly 13,000 inhabitants on the northwest coast of Maui, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and drew 2 million tourists annually, in a state of extensive devastation.

The fires have left Lahaina, a beachside resort town with about 13,000 residents on Maui’s northwest coast, in a condition of enormous devastation. Lahaina historically served as the Hawaiian Kingdom’s capital and attracted 2 million tourists yearly.

A portion of the Big Island has also been charred by the fires.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, which used official records from the Maui Fire Department and U.S. Civil Air Patrol, about 271 structures were destroyed or damaged.

Around 2,000 miles (3,200 km) west of the American mainland is the archipelago of Hawaii. Hawaii, often known as the Big Island, is one of its eight major islands. Hawaii’s island is located to the north and west of Maui.

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Source: Reuters