Hawaii Wildfires

Wildfires in Hawaii:

How did the deadly Maui Fire start and what caused it?

Fast-moving fires that broke out on Tuesday night on the island of Maui have killed dozens and forced thousands to evacuate.

The death toll from forest fires reached 53

Survivors describe horrific scenes of wildfires

Unprecedented wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have displaced thousands of residents, destroyed parts of a centuries-old town and killed at least 53 people.

This disaster is one of the deadliest wildfires in the United States in recent years.

Fast-moving fires, fanned by wind from a distant storm, flared during the night and moved so quickly that some residents jumped into the sea to escape the flames and smoke. Teams continue to battle fires that have consumed several residential areas, including the historic town of Lahaina. “We just went through the worst disaster I have ever seen. The whole of Lahaina was burned. It's like the end of the world," said Mason Jarvi, a Lahaina resident who escaped.

Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation said the state has opened five evacuation shelters and at least 4,000 tourists are still trying to leave West Maui.

Firefighters continue to battle three major fires and authorities have shut down the western part of the island except for rescuers and evacuees. Six dead, dozens injured in Hawaii fire - as it happened

How did the Maui fire disaster begin?

The fires appear to have consumed vegetation first, then quickly spread through densely populated areas as gusts of more than 60 mph rocked the island. The fire swept across Lahaina's coast with alarming speed and intensity, burning through intersections and through wooden buildings in the city center that date back to the 1700s and are listed on the Geospatial Register. National Historic Site.

People ran on busy roads, some blocked by burning debris. The US Coast Guard on Tuesday rescued 14 people, including two children, who jumped into the water to escape. Climatologist Daniel Swain said: “It was a classic urban-interface wildfire where there was a bushfire, but it moved into the urban area and started burning from structure to structure. ".

What caused the fires in Hawaii?

The cause of the fires has yet to be determined, but they flared up as the island faced high winds and low humidity that the National Weather Service said would pose a high fire risk with the potential to spread. expand rapidly.

Hawaii was facing a drought and was in the middle of the dry season when Hurricane Dora, several hundred miles away, brought exceptionally strong winds. Honolulu meteorologist Jeff Powell said the islands are sandwiched between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system linked to Dora a few hundred miles away. The difference in atmospheric pressure brought unusually strong trade winds that fanned the flames of destruction.

The winds, intensified by the storm, knocked down power lines and, as they moved downwards, contributed to the spread of the fire. Neil Lareau, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Nevada, Reno, said on Twitter that downdrafts are causing the most intense fires. According to a 2023 study, wind-driven fires have been responsible for 60% of lost structures and 52% of deaths in wildfires in the western United States since 1999.

Hundreds of buildings destroyed in historic Lahaina

What role does the climate emergency play in wildfires? The climate crisis, driven by the use of fossil fuels, is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including wildfires like the one facing Maui. .

Clay Trauernicht, a fire scientist at the University of Hawaii, says the rainy season can promote plants like guinea grass, an invasive species found in parts of Maui,