Here’s a picture of how the fire got so destructive and ripped through the town of Lahaina, a popular tourist beach town on Maui’s west coast.
A brush fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time Tuesday in the Lahaina area, triggering a partial evacuation. Maui County officials later said they had brought the flames under control but warned of power outages due to high winds and announced the causes were being investigated on their Facebook page.
However, later in the afternoon, the fire re-emerged with greater intensity, resulting in the relocation of some residents and shelter recommendations for others. The fire spread rapidly in the ensuing hours, and around midnight, the County urged West Maui residents to remain in their locations unless told to evacuate.
Alarm spread among Lahaina residents as the flames began to affect areas that had not previously been affected by the fire. Testimonies from those affected revealed the panic that broke out in the community, with individuals running through the streets and yelling at others to leave the area.
Dawn Wednesday showed that much of Lahaina lay in ruins. According to Crystal Kolden, a fire expert at the University of California, the population did not seem to have been warned of the danger of the fire, which led to a delayed response. Kolden highlighted how in previous situations, people had more time to evacuate due to the slower nature of the wildfires, while this incident was characterized by the rapid spread of the flames.
The rapid expansion of the fire in this region of Maui is attributed to various circumstances. Although the area usually receives sufficient rain due to the protection provided by an extinct volcano, this year has been marked by an exceptional drought. In addition, the disruption in land use has resulted in a further accumulation of flammable vegetation around the city, providing an abundant supply of fuel for the fire.
The wind also played a significant role, driven by a hurricane in the nearby ocean. The island’s topography, with its downward slope toward Lahaina, exacerbated the situation, as the downwinds are dry and hot, reducing moisture in the vegetation and encouraging more intense fires.
In addition, climate change played a role in this tragedy since the uncontrolled emission of gases derived from fossil fuels has warmed the global atmosphere, drying out the environment and aggravating the intensity of the fires. Environmental science experts highlight how global warming is exacerbating these types of natural disasters.