island Mauiinside Hawaiireduced to smoke and ash. This Tuesday, small town cabbage suffered little fires Fueled by the temperatures and wind, the bushes spread throughout the week, devastating much of the island’s land. At least 55 people died already in Forest fire deadliest ever United States of America Since 2018, fire California swallowed the town of Paradise. According to official sources, hundreds more are missing.
The Hawaiian archipelago, made up of 137 islands, is no stranger to fire. However, the State’s two largest regions, which have swallowed parts of the island of Hawaii and Maui, are already one of the worst. natural disasters Despite his story firefighters While it has managed to contain most of the fire’s sources, the death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours as rescuers have access to areas so far engulfed by the flames.
“We had 61 deaths in 1960, when a big wave swept the Big Island,” the state’s governor said on Thursday. Josh Green, in statements to CNN. This means tsunami hit the island of Hawaii 63 years ago earthquake 15 hours ago, the largest 9.5 degrees shaking southwestern Chile earthquake never recorded. “This time, our death toll is very likely to significantly exceed that figure.”
impact of climate change
The Hawaiian government is still investigating what caused the first fire that broke out in Lahaina and spread across the island, burning down everything in its path. state of emergency. The flames baffled the residents of the coastal town, and many threw themselves into the sea. ocean To protect itself, more than 14,000 people (a further 14,500 were expected to attend) had to be evacuated in a fire that limed 1,000 hectares and destroyed 1,700 buildings, leaving a large part of the population out of touch. Important heritage sites in Lahaina, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, are charred.
Everything indicates that this is due to a dangerous combination. meteorological conditions exacerbated by climate changeAs explained to ‘Scientific American’ by Robert Bohlin of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu. Before the fires broke out, Maui was already on red alert due to the height. temperatures Yet drought that the island is suffering. Experts warned in July that “the risk of fires is high during this year’s dry season.” Added to this hurricane-force wind It fueled the flames on Tuesday.
“We’ve never had a wildfire that affected a city this way,” Green said. Governor of Hawaii global warming They are putting unprecedented pressure on the archipelago and exacerbating the extremely hot conditions that allowed the fire to spread faster. This is the first time we are seeing this in many different parts of the world.”
drought and wind
According to data from the US Drought Monitor, scientists pointed out that the key factor in understanding these fires was the abnormally dry conditions that affected 80% of Hawaii. About 16% of Maui County was affected by severe drought on Tuesday, when the first fire was detected, up 5% from the previous week.
in addition to low moistureExperts also noted that parts of the Hawaiian Islands are covered with non-native grasses that are more flammable than grass. Flora paradise island state tradition.
This Tuesday hurricane Category 4 storm Dora crossed the coast of Hawaii. his strong lines wind – between 48 and 97 kilometers per hour – could have helped spread the flames from the small coastal town of Lahaina in the northwest of the island to other corners of its green zone. These hurricane currents firefighters. “The fire could be a mile (1.6 km) or more from your home, but it could be in your home in a minute or two,” said Jeff Giesea, deputy director of Maui.
In the past, wildfires were rare in Hawaii. According to the records, their origin My god or rashes between volcanoes inhabitants of the archipelago. However, the increase in temperature rainy and human activities have made fires increasingly common and extreme. Five years ago, in August 2018, Lahaina experienced a similar event. Two small fires grew with winds from Hurricane Lane and engulfed 31 vehicles and 21 homes. It was the worst thing Maui had ever experienced. Until now.