Hawaii Wildfires Kill At Least 36, Force Thousands to Evacuate

Facts

• On Wednesday, Maui County officials announced that at least 36 people have died in the fast-moving wildfires that have destroyed Lahaina, a resort city, and several surrounding neighborhoods on the western side of Hawaii's Maui island.¹
• With at least three fires burning, the state's Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke warned tourists that Hawaii "is not a safe place to be." Even with the warning, flights carrying vacationers continue to arrive on the islands.²
• The US Coast Guard confirmed reports that in an effort to escape the blaze, 14 people jumped into the Lahaina harbor. Alan Dickar, a business owner in the resort town, said, "There were no fire trucks at that point; I think the fire department was overwhelmed."³
• The Hawaiian islands have endured months of drought, which increased the fire risk. Fanned by hurricane-force winds from Hurricane Dora, the fire rapidly spread and was nearly impossible to contain from the ground or the air.⁴
• Reports indicate that much of Lahaina has been destroyed, including over 270 buildings in the community that's home to 12K residents. As of late Wednesday night, PowerOutage.us reported more than 11K customers were without power.⁵
• As the fires continued to burn Thursday, Pres. Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for the state, directing federal aid to assist local recovery efforts.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²New York Times, ³CBS, ⁴Washington Post, ⁵CNN (a), and ⁶CNN (b).

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Guardian. Several factors contributed to the fast-moving wildfires occurring in Hawaii, but make no mistake; they're all linked to climate change. A prolonged period of drought and increased temperature dried out the grass, creating fuel for the wildfires. Increased sea temperatures then drove stronger hurricanes that fanned the fires, extending their deadly reach. Without any action to address climate change, this will just be one of many catastrophic events.
• Narrative B, as provided by Honolulu Civil Beat. "Unprepared" is a common theme being echoed by Hawaiian officials and residents. Despite knowing the risks of a prolonged period of drought followed by a passing hurricane, the state failed to adequately prepare for the collision of the two forces. This unprecedented deadly event may have been born from several factors, but they were all known and documented. Now the island's residents must pay the price in lost lives, homes, and businesses.