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===Damage===
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[[File:Os-lahaina-town-fire.jpg|right|thumb|Burned out cars, Front street, Lāhainā town]]
[[File:Os-lahaina-town-fire.jpg|right|thumb|Burned out cars, Front street, Lāhainā town]]
The main Maui wildfire burned much of the community of Lāhainā, where more than 1,700 structures were damaged or destroyed, including much of the downtown [[Lahaina Historic District|Lāhainā Historic District]] centered on Front Street.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Staff |date=August 9, 2023 |title=Much of historic Lahaina town believed destroyed as huge wildfire sends people fleeing into water |work=[[Hawaii News Now]]|url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/what-you-need-know-emergency-crews-battle-raging-brush-fires-maui/ |access-date=August 9, 2023|archive-date=August 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809230203/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/what-you-need-know-emergency-crews-battle-raging-brush-fires-maui/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Lāhainā Historic District, which was designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1962 and was the capital of the [[Kingdom of Hawaii|Kingdom of Hawaiʻi]] for 35 years, suffered extensive fire damage.<ref name=hstad/> Among the structures destroyed were [[Waiola Church]] and [[Pioneer Inn]].<ref name="Maui News (Aug. 9)" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schaefers |first1=Allison |title=Century-old Pioneer Inn among property casualties of West Maui wildfires|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/09/breaking-news/century-old-pioneer-inn-among-property-casualties-of-west-maui-wildfires/ |work=The Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=August 9, 2023 |access-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810100604/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/09/breaking-news/century-old-pioneer-inn-among-property-casualties-of-west-maui-wildfires/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Banyan tree in Lahaina|Lāhainā's famous banyan tree]], the largest [[banyan tree]] in the United States, was severely charred, though it appeared to be left standing after the fire.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Jack |last1=Truesdale |first2=Thomas |last2=Heaton |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Lahaina Emerges From 'Devastating' Fire As Relief Begins To Arrive|url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/lahaina-emerges-from-devastating-fire-as-relief-begins-to-arrive/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Honolulu Civil Beat |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810173407/https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/lahaina-emerges-from-devastating-fire-as-relief-begins-to-arrive/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The main Maui wildfire burned much of the community of Lāhainā, where more than 1,700 structures were damaged or destroyed, including much of the downtown [[Lahaina Historic District|Lāhainā Historic District]] centered on Front Street.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Staff |date=August 9, 2023 |title=Much of historic Lahaina town believed destroyed as huge wildfire sends people fleeing into water |work=[[Hawaii News Now]]|url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/what-you-need-know-emergency-crews-battle-raging-brush-fires-maui/ |access-date=August 9, 2023|archive-date=August 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809230203/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/what-you-need-know-emergency-crews-battle-raging-brush-fires-maui/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Lāhainā Historic District, which was designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1962 and was the capital of the [[Kingdom of Hawaii|Kingdom of Hawaiʻi]] for 35 years, suffered extensive fire damage.<ref name=hstad/> Among the structures destroyed were [[Waiola Church]] and [[Pioneer Inn]].<ref name="Maui News (Aug. 9)" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schaefers |first1=Allison |title=Century-old Pioneer Inn among property casualties of West Maui wildfires|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/09/breaking-news/century-old-pioneer-inn-among-property-casualties-of-west-maui-wildfires/ |work=The Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=August 9, 2023 |access-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810100604/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/09/breaking-news/century-old-pioneer-inn-among-property-casualties-of-west-maui-wildfires/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Banyan tree in Lahaina|Lāhainā's famous banyan tree]], the largest [[banyan tree]] in the United States, was severely charred, though was left standing after the fire.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Jack |last1=Truesdale |first2=Thomas |last2=Heaton |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Lahaina Emerges From 'Devastating' Fire As Relief Begins To Arrive|url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/lahaina-emerges-from-devastating-fire-as-relief-begins-to-arrive/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Honolulu Civil Beat |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810173407/https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/lahaina-emerges-from-devastating-fire-as-relief-begins-to-arrive/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


Tamara Paltin, who represents Lāhainā in the [[Maui County Council]], reported several destroyed or severely damaged historic landmarks in the Lāhainā Historic District in a brief interview with the ''[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]'', including:<ref name=hstad>{{cite news|first=Timothy|last=Hurley|title=Lahaina's historic and cultural treasures go up in smoke|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/10/hawaii-news/lahainas-historic-and-cultural-treasures-go-up-in-smoke/|work=[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]|publisher=|date=August 10, 2023|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810152148/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/10/hawaii-news/lahainas-historic-and-cultural-treasures-go-up-in-smoke/|archive-date=August 10, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
Tamara Paltin, who represents Lāhainā in the [[Maui County Council]], reported several destroyed or severely damaged historic landmarks in the Lāhainā Historic District in a brief interview with the ''[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]'', including:<ref name=hstad>{{cite news|first=Timothy|last=Hurley|title=Lahaina's historic and cultural treasures go up in smoke|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/10/hawaii-news/lahainas-historic-and-cultural-treasures-go-up-in-smoke/|work=[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]|publisher=|date=August 10, 2023|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810152148/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/10/hawaii-news/lahainas-historic-and-cultural-treasures-go-up-in-smoke/|archive-date=August 10, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

Revision as of 22:06, 11 August 2023

2023 Hawaii wildfires
From top, left to right: Satellite image of Maui • Lāhainā Banyan Court Park • Front Street • Lāhainā Harbor
Date(s)August 8–9, 2023
LocationHawaii
Statistics
Total fires3+
Total area14,000+ acres (5,556+ ha)[1]
Impacts
Deaths55+[2]
Non-fatal injuries26+
Missing people>1,000[3]
Structures destroyed1,700+[2]
DamageUnknown
Ignition
CauseUnknown

In early August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii affecting the islands of Maui and to a lesser extent Hawaii (colloquially known as the Big Island). The wind-driven fires prompted evacuations, caused widespread damage, and killed at least 55 people in the town of Lāhainā on Maui. The proliferation of the wildfires was attributed to dry, gusty conditions created by a strong high-pressure area north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.[4]

An emergency declaration was signed on August 8, authorizing several actions, including activation of the Hawaii National Guard, appropriate actions by the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the Administrator of Emergency Management, and the expenditure of state general revenue funds for relief of conditions created by the fires.[5] By August 9, the state government of Hawaii issued a state of emergency for the entirety of the state.[4] On August 10, U.S. president Joe Biden issued a federal major disaster declaration.[6]

Background

A map of the state of Hawaii shows Maui with the largest area under severe drought conditions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor showing drought conditions in Hawaii as of August 8, 2023

The typical area burned by wildfires in Hawaii has increased in recent decades, almost quadrupling. Experts blame the increase on the spread of non-native vegetation[a] and hotter, drier weather.[8] At the time of the fires, twenty percent of the county of Maui was experiencing moderate drought (level 1 of 4), and sixteen percent of the county was under severe drought conditions (level 2 of 4).[9] A decrease in rainfall consistent with the predicted impacts of anthropogenic climate change has been recorded in the Hawaiian islands, according to the US National Climate Assessment.[10]

In its monthly seasonal outlook, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) forecast "above normal" potential for significant wild land fires for Hawaiʻi in August, concentrated on the islands' leeward sides. In addition to noting plentiful vegetation growth from the previous wet season and the expanding drought, the NIFC mentioned that "tropical cyclones can also bring windy and dry conditions depending on how they approach the island chain and can exacerbate fire growth potential."[11]: 1, 2, 7

In early August 2023, a high-pressure system remained north of the Hawaiian islands, causing warm and sunny conditions there. The concurrent passage of Category 4 Hurricane Dora several hundred miles/km south created a large pressure difference between the high-pressure area and the low-pressure cyclone, causing strong gradient winds to develop over the islands.[12] A similar phenomenon occurred in 2017 in Portugal during the passage of Hurricane Ophelia.[13]

A contributing factor to the fires is the presence of an invasive grass called guinea grass. Guinea grass can grow up to 15 cm (0.5 ft) per day and reach heights of 3 m (10 ft). When the grasses dry out they create a large mass of tinder dry vegetation. These add an enormous amount of fuel which increases the intensity of the wildfires.[14]

The National Weather Service's office in Honolulu issued a red flag warning on August 7 for the leeward portions of all the islands, highlighting that "very dry fuels combined with strong and gusty easterly winds and low humidities will produce critical fire weather conditions through Tuesday night." East winds of 30–45 miles per hour (48–72 km/h) with gusts over 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) were forecast.[15] In Maui County, officials reported gusts up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) in the Upcountry Maui area.[16]

Fires

Maui

Lāhainā Lighthouse surrounded by August 2023 wildfire ruins

From August 8 to 10, wildfires in Maui caused widespread destruction in the town of Lahaina in West Maui.[17][18][19] The exact cause of the wildfires is presently unknown.[20] As of August 11, though local governments had not yet searched inside buildings as they waited for FEMA assistance, 55 people had been reported dead outside buildings in Lahaina.[21] Over 1,700 structures had been affected, including several historic landmarks.[22][2]

A separate fire was reported just past midnight on August 8 near the community of Kula. As of August 9, the fire had burned approximately 1,000 acres (400 ha) and forced the evacuation of nearby residents.[16]

A third major fire in Kīhei also led to an evacuation of nearby residents.[23]

Hawaii Island

In Hawaii County, neighborhoods in the North and South Kohala districts of the Island of Hawaii were evacuated due to rapidly spreading brush fires.[24] On August 9, several other brush fires broke out near the communities of Nā'ālehu and Pāhala; those fires were quickly brought under control.[24]

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said there were no reports of injuries or destroyed homes on the Big Island.[25]

Oahu

Multiple brush fires burned on Oahu in the first week of August, stretching fire department resources, and were contained by August 4. The island's south and west sides remain abnormally dry or in drought.[26][27]

Impacts

The governor of the state of Hawaii, Josh Green, referred to the wildfire as the "worst natural disaster" in the history of Hawaii.[28] (Prior to statehood, the tsunami from the 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake killed between 165 and 173 people in Hilo, Hawaii, which is widely considered the worst natural disaster on the islands. In addition, the tsunami from the 1960 Valdivia earthquake killed 61 people in Hilo.[29]) It was the most lethal wildfire in the United States since the 2018 Camp fire in California, which killed 85 people.[30]

Casualties

As of August 10, 2023, there are 55 confirmed deaths and up to 1,000 individuals are unaccounted for due to the Lāhainā fire on Maui.[3][31] The mayor of Maui County had noted earlier that authorities were "still in a search and rescue mode" and that the number could change.[32] The death toll in western Maui made it the deadliest wildfire ever recorded in the state of Hawaiʻi (since statehood).[8]

As of August 9, at least twenty individuals had been hospitalized at a Maui hospital. Six individuals, three of whom with critical burns, had been transported by air ambulance from Maui to hospitals on the island of Oahu.[33]

Damage

Burned out cars, Front street, Lāhainā town

The main Maui wildfire burned much of the community of Lāhainā, where more than 1,700 structures were damaged or destroyed, including much of the downtown Lāhainā Historic District centered on Front Street.[19][18] The Lāhainā Historic District, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi for 35 years, suffered extensive fire damage.[34] Among the structures destroyed were Waiola Church and Pioneer Inn.[16][35] Lāhainā's famous banyan tree, the largest banyan tree in the United States, was severely charred, though was left standing after the fire.[36]

Tamara Paltin, who represents Lāhainā in the Maui County Council, reported several destroyed or severely damaged historic landmarks in the Lāhainā Historic District in a brief interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, including:[34]

  • The Waiola Church, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in May 2023, lost its main sanctuary, annex, and social hall.[34][37] Waiola Church's cemetery is the burial ground for members of the Hawaiian Royal Family, including Queen Keōpūolani, who founded the church in 1823.[37]
  • The Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lāhainā, which had been dedicated in 1858. Contrary to early reports, the main church building and steeple were not destroyed and survived the fire largely intact, though the roof and interior may have sustained some damage.[34][37]
  • The Lāhainā Jodo Mission, a Buddhist temple in northern Lāhainā. Established in 1912 and stood on its current location since 1932.[34]
  • The Pioneer Inn, a landmark town hotel constructed by George Alan Freeland in 1901.[34]
  • The Na Aikana Cultural Center [d], a local cultural center which once housed a soup kitchen for striking plantation workers during an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) strike against the Pioneer Mill.[34]
  • The Old Lāhainā Courthouse, which first operated in 1860 as a customs house for trade and whaling ships. The building's roof was completely destroyed.[38] The Old Lāhainā Courthouse stands in heavily damaged Lāhainā Banyan Court Park.
    • The Lāhainā Heritage Museum and its collection, which were housed inside the Old Courthouse building, were also destroyed. The collection included items that spanned Lāhainā's history, including artifacts from the area's ancient Hawaiian period, the Hawaiian Kingdom and monarchy, the plantation period, and the town's whaling era. Copies of the museum's documents had been digitized and stored online prior to the fire.[38]
  • The Baldwin Home Museum, which was constructed in 1834 and 1835 as the home of American missionaries Dwight Baldwin and Charlotte Fowler Baldwin, burned to the ground.[38] The Baldwin Home was the oldest house on the island of Maui.[34][38] Historic items lost in the house fire included Baldwin's medical instruments he used to vaccinate much of Maui's population against smallpox in the 1800s, seashell collections, and the family's furniture and rocking chairs from the East Coast.[34][38]
  • The Wo Hing Society Hall, built in the early 1910s to serve the growing Chinese population in Lāhainā. It was restored and turned into the Wo Hing Museum in the 1980s.[39]

The fire also destroyed several cell towers in affected areas, causing service outages and 9-1-1 emergency telephone services to be rendered unavailable.[40]

The wildfire that burned near the community of Kula destroyed at least two homes.[23]

Evacuations

The United States Coast Guard confirmed that around a dozen people had jumped into the sea to escape the fire;[18] on August 8 it rescued 14 people who had done so.[41] As of August 9, more than 2,100 people on Maui remained in shelters.[32] Vacationing San Francisco mayor London Breed was among those evacuated from Maui.[42]

An estimated 11,000 people flew out of Maui via Kahului Airport on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.[25]

Hawaiian state officials created plans to potentially house thousands of displaced Maui residents at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on O'ahu.[25]

Response

A Hawaiʻi Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter performs an aerial water bucket drop on a Maui wildfire on August 9

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, who was serving as acting governor in the absence of Governor Josh Green while he was traveling outside of Hawaii, issued an emergency proclamation and activated the Hawaii National Guard.[18] The Hawaii National Guard, together with the 25th Infantry Division from Schofield Barracks on Oahu, deployed to Maui and Hawaii Island to assist with fire suppression support, search and rescue operations, and traffic control. Two UH-60 Blackhawk and one CH-47 Chinook helicopters were also deployed to support fire suppression efforts.[43]

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the mobilization of "all available federal assets" to help respond to the wildfires. In a statement, Biden noted that the United States Navy Third Fleet, and the United States Coast Guard were supporting "response and rescue efforts". The United States Marines were providing Black Hawk helicopters to help fight fires in Hawaii County, and the United States Department of Transportation was working with commercial airlines to help evacuate tourists from Maui.[44] To help with the ongoing Coast Guard search and rescue operation, the United States Navy sent in Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Three Seven (HSM-37) and two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, with the United States Indo-Pacific Command standing ready to provide additional assistance as needed.[45][46]

President Biden approved the state of Hawaii's request for a major disaster declaration on August 10, making federal funding available for recovery efforts in the affected areas.[47]

As of August 9, 2023, the Hawaii Tourism Authority was requesting that all visitors on non-essential travel in Maui leave the island and strongly discouraging any further non-essential travel to the island.[25][48]

Hawaiian Airlines offered those who were flying to or on the island of Maui the choice to reschedule, receive travel credits, or cancel their trip at no cost while assisting in evacuations.[49]

Notes

  1. ^ According to Clay Trauernicht, who is a fire scientist at the University of Hawaii, Guinea grass, which is an invasive species found across parts of Maui, grows as quickly as 6 in (15 cm) a day and reach up to 10 ft (3 meters) tall. When it dries, the grass can fuel wildfire. "These grasslands accumulate fuels very rapidly," Trauernicht said. "In hotter conditions and drier conditions, with variable rainfall, it's only going to exacerbate the problem."[7]

References

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  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hurley, Timothy (August 10, 2023). "Lahaina's historic and cultural treasures go up in smoke". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  35. ^ Schaefers, Allison (August 9, 2023). "Century-old Pioneer Inn among property casualties of West Maui wildfires". The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  36. ^ Truesdale, Jack; Heaton, Thomas (August 10, 2023). "Lahaina Emerges From 'Devastating' Fire As Relief Begins To Arrive". Honolulu Civil Beat. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  37. ^ a b c Hurley, Timothy (August 11, 2023). "Maria Lanakila still stands, but Waiola Church is gone". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
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