By Ester Golan ‘25 The Hawaiian island of Maui was ravaged by horrific wildfires, completely destroying the historic town and tourist center of Lahaina and killing 97 people last summer. The first wildfire started around 6:30 in the morning on August 8, 2023, but as firefighters quickly responded to it, few civilians or tourists took much notice. As the day progressed, however, a second fire quickly consumed the center of the island and blocked the single road in and out of Lahaina, destroying countless buildings and spelling a death trap for those who had not yet left.
Many civilians were killed, while others had to evacuate their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some even had to jump into the ocean and swim offshore to escape the flames. “I'm horrified that so many families have been displaced in such a small amount of time,” said junior Rikki Farkovits. “I'm saddened by the loss of life and history, and I hope everyone affected by the fires is as safe and happy as possible given the circumstances.” “We don't know what actually ignited the fires, but we were made aware in advance by the National Weather Service that we were in a red flag situation,” explained Major General Kenneth Hara of the Hawaiian Army National Guard. “So that [means] dry conditions for a long time, so the fuel, the trees and everything, was dry.” Climate change is believed to have played a major role in these drought conditions that allowed the fires to spread so quickly and so intensely. According to the Los Angeles Times, “The chance interaction of terrain, weather, building development, vegetation, and the growing force multiplier of climate change have seemingly rewritten natural history… although any one of these factors would typically lead to increased fire risk, all of them together created a tinderbox that was primed to explode. All they needed was a spark.” “I think that the Hawaiian wildfires are yet another example of the suffering caused by the climate crisis,” said junior Rachel Nadelmann. “It doesn’t make sense to me that there are still deniers of climate change, considering how many wildfires have occurred throughout the world in such a short amount of time, especially in America.” Although it initially denied any responsibility, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) later accepted the blame for the first fire but continued to deny involvement in the second, deadlier fire. According to HECO, the first fire “appears to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds,” which confirms reports and cell phone footage given by residents. Many in Maui have blamed the island’s former emergency chief, Herman Andaya, who has since resigned, over his decision not to sound the emergency tsunami sirens on August 8. Critics say he was not qualified for the job; he was merely selected for the role due to his close relationship with Maui’s former mayor. Andaya said, “I went through a very arduous process, and I was vetted… I was interviewed by seasoned emergency managers, and they all deemed me qualified.” Although he resigned, citing personal health concerns, Andaya defended his decision regarding the emergency tsunami sirens, arguing that since the public had been educated to move to higher ground if they heard the sirens, some people may have mistakenly moved closer to the blaze, which was strongest in the mountainous center of the island. “Andaya was faced with an extremely tough situation, but I understand why he is facing criticism as countless lives were lost due to his decision to not sound the emergency tsunami sirens,” said junior Aly Biloon. “I honestly do not know what I would have done as either way, sadly, numerous lives would be taken.” Lahaina, the town in Maui worst affected by the conflagrations, is a major source of income for the island due to its beaches and historic sites frequented by tourists. This includes a single Banyan tree planted by missionaries in 1873 that covers nearly 2 acres of land, which miraculously survived the fires with only exterior burn damage and is already starting to recover. Also destroyed were the historic Waiola Church mission, the Old Lahaina Courthouse, and the Pioneer Inn, which was the oldest hotel in Hawaii, first built in 1901. “Seeing the pictures of the fire’s aftermath breaks my heart,” said junior Austin Colm. “I cannot believe that all this destruction happened so quickly.” On October 8, precisely two months after the fire, the island’s new mayor unveiled a reopening plan for West Maui to resuscitate the local economy. However, this plan has faced fierce opposition from some residents, with over 15,000 people signing a petition to keep the island closed until a more thorough healing process can be completed.
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