Hawaii Bushfires Claim 55 Lives, Resort Town On Maui Island Charred. Key Points

Hawaii does see bushfires every year but this year it has been burning faster and bigger than usual.

Maxar satellite imagery showing total destruction of the Lahaina square and outlets after the Lahaina Wildfire, with one building still actively burning.

Source : Getty

The fast moving bushfires in Hawaii's Maui island, which broke out on Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the resort town of Lahaina, have claimed 55 lives. People were caught off guard because of the fast moving flames that many were forced to jump into the ocean to escape. As firefighters battled the flames, Lahaina on Thursday lay in charred, smoking ruins, with Governor Josh Green saying 80 percent of the town was gone, as per AFP. On Thursday, the United States President Joe Biden declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts. However, residents said that they needed more help in recovery that could take years.

Green said around 1,700 buildings were now believed to have been affected by the blaze.

Tourists and locals alike fled with few or none of their belongings as the fire spread rapidly due to dry conditions, a buildup of fuels and strong winds. Maui County has asked visitors to leave "as soon as possible," and organised buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport. 

Here are the key points of the Hawaii Fires

• At least three major fires broke out Tuesday night, cutting off the western side of the island of Lahaina, where more than 270 structures were destroyed or damaged. Governor Green said that it is like a bomb hit Lahaina and the death toll is likely to rise. 
• The initial death toll was around 36 on Tuesday, but it rose to 55 on Thursday – making it one of the deadliest disasters, the 1960 tsunami which claimed 61 lives. 
• The Maui fire is fueled by the wind from a nearby hurricane that broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.
• US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey said that at least 100 people had jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to flee the fast-moving flames which tore through Lahaina. 
• People suffered burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries. Search and rescue efforts continue, and thousands of people have fled into emergency shelters or left the island.
• Fires have also broken out on Hawaii's Big Island, but officials said they were under control on Thursday, according to AFP.
• Thousands had already evacuated from the island around 1400 were waiting at the main airport in Kahului overnight, hoping to get out.
• The island hosts around a third of all the visitors who holiday in the state, and their dollars are vital for the local economy. The state's tourism chief Jimmy Tokioka acknowledged the tragedy but reiterated that the "rest of Hawaii is open."
• Hawaii does see bushfires every year but this year it has been burning faster and bigger than usual, stated  Thomas Smith, an environmental geography professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The Hawaii fire follows extreme weather events which occurred in North America, including the record-breaking fires which are still burning around Canada and a major heat wave in the southwest US. According to AFP, as global temperature rises, heatwaves are said to be more frequent, as more areas will become dry due to change in rainfall patterns creating the ideal conditions for dryness.