A major natural disaster has struck the US state of Hawaii, resulting in “a day marked by deep sadness” for the island of Maui, as described by Richard Bissen, the island’s mayor. According to a new report issued by Maui County and reported by Hawaii News Now on the evening of Thursday 10 August, major wildfires have led to the tragic loss of at least 55 lives. A previous death toll, announced on Wednesday, had put the figure at 36.
"We are facing an unprecedented situation, with a fire that has had such a devastating impact on a town," lamented Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green in a statement reported by CNN on Thursday evening. "Climate change is very much a reality and is leaving its mark on our islands. These fires are a tangible manifestation of that."
Faced with the devastating flames, some people were forced to throw themselves into the surrounding waters to escape the danger. “Tragic scenes are unfolding, with bodies spotted floating both in the water and on the riverbanks,” said Kekoa Lansford, a resident of Lahaina on Maui, in an interview with AFP on Thursday. Here is an overview of what is known so far about these devastating fires.
Fires fuelled by dry conditions and prevailing winds
The fire that caught the town of Lahaina unawares is currently 80 per cent under control; however, two other fires remain active on the island of Maui, according to information provided by the local authorities and reported by AFP on Friday. The island of Hawaii, situated to the south of the archipelago, is also experiencing the effects, albeit on a smaller scale.
"The exact causes of the fires remain unknown; however, we had previously been alerted by the National Weather Service, which had informed us of an impending red alert due to the dry conditions," said Kenneth Hara, Commander-General of the Hawaii National Guard, during an update on Wednesday, as reported by CBS News. These conditions, combined with low humidity and strong winds, created an environment conducive to the outbreak of these fires.
According to information provided by the US National Weather Service, a powerful high-pressure system situated to the north of the State of Hawaii is maintaining exceptionally dry and stable weather conditions across all the islands. This phenomenon is exacerbated by Hurricane Dora, which is passing offshore to the south of the region, generating strong and gusty winds in the area. Consequently, these weather conditions have created circumstances conducive to the spread of fires, a risk that persisted until late on Wednesday evening.
Winds reached speeds of up to 100 km/h at times, thereby increasing the risk of the flames spreading rapidly across the archipelago.
The tragic death toll from these fires now stands at 55
Thursday evening unfortunately saw the death toll rise to 55, according to information provided by Maui County. A previous tally from the same county, announced on Wednesday evening, had reported at least 36 fatalities in the fires. Governor Josh Green warned that the final death toll could be considerably higher.
The authorities told Hawaii News Now that at least 20 other people had suffered severe burns as a result of the fires. Three people were in a critical condition and were being treated in Honolulu, on the island of O’ahu, on Wednesday. Sylvia Luke, Deputy Governor of Hawaii, had emphasised at the time that Maui’s hospital network was “overwhelmed” by the growing number of patients injured or suffering from smoke inhalation.
Maui’s police chief, quoted by CNN, said on Thursday that the number of people missing had not yet been determined. “Frankly, we don’t know,” he said. “There’s no electricity, no internet access and no radio coverage.”
A large number of residents were forced to leave their homes because of the fires, leading to mass evacuations
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate the affected areas, seeking refuge in emergency centres or at Maui’s main airport. In total, more than 11,000 people left the island on Wednesday, according to statements by the director of the Hawaii Department of Transport.
In light of this situation, the state governor emphasised the need to provide shelter for a large number of people. The authorities have been in contact with hotels across the archipelago and have appealed to the generosity of residents who might be able to take displaced people into their homes. The Hawaii Convention Centre in Honolulu had the capacity to provide emergency accommodation for around 4,000 people, according to reports by Hawaii News Now.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by power cuts, which are complicating the ongoing operations
In light of the scale of the fires, the National Guard has been mobilised. US President Joe Biden has confirmed that “all available federal resources” will be deployed to contain the flames. He also took the initiative to declare a state of natural disaster, paving the way for substantial federal aid to fund relief operations, emergency shelters and reconstruction efforts.
Military helicopters were deployed to support rescue operations and fire-fighting efforts, playing a crucial role by dropping more than 500,000 litres of water to extinguish the flames.
Powerful gusts of wind have caused electricity poles to fall, disrupting communication networks on the island of Maui. In some areas, the archipelago’s deputy governor reported that “911, the mobile phone network and the landline network are down” during an interview with CNN. According to Power Outage, a website that tracks power cuts across the United States, nearly 11,000 customers were still without power on Maui on Thursday evening. Hawaiian Electric has stated that power cuts in the west of the island could last for several weeks.