The fate is getting darker, ash-colored. The death toll from the raging fire on the Hawaiian island of Maui has now reached 80. Bad omens point to the fact that this will not be the end of the count and that the tragedy is on track to become the deadliest fire in the history of the States united
The residents of Lahaina, the historic city and former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, return to their homes and are left in a state of shock after seeing what their lives have been reduced to, all their possessions and memories turned into ruins. Meanwhile, the governor of the archipelago, Josh Green, and other authorities have expressed their belief that among all the missing there are still quite a few corpses.
The confirmed figures already place the ravages of this disaster above the tsunami of 1960, which caused 61 deaths. Also, at any moment, the Maui fire could become the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history. So far, the deadliest fire on record is the Camp Fire, California, which occurred in 2018. The town of Paradise was destroyed with a death toll of 85.
And the danger is not yet fully under control. The Lahaina front appears to be under control, but other active fronts remain on the island. On Friday night, the evacuation of Kaanapali, in the western area, was ordered. Hours later it was brought under control. This led to long queues on the roads and a feeling that the bottom has not yet been reached.
Amid the desolation, tears, complaints and questions arise. Many say that at no time did they hear the alarm sirens, in general a system that usually works well. They are right. They did not hear the sirens because they were disabled, several official sources told NBC. Once the fire hovered over the citizens, three more alert systems were activated, mainly messages to mobile phones which, due to the circumstances, had no coverage.
Many residents of Lahaina, the hardest-hit location, believe they were not given enough notice, adding to the confusion.
The governor assured last morning that he has authorized a review of the emergency response, despite the fact that the extraordinary power of the wind – with peaks of 128 kilometers per hour and a constant power of more than 100 – fueled the speed of the fire and complicated all efforts.
Asked by CNN, Green emphasized that the flames were revived in Lahaina at the beginning of the week, when teams were focused on other fires that were developing in other parts of the island.
Telecommunications infrastructure was destroyed by the ferocity of the flames, further complicating operations. “It is not about looking for excuses and we will review all aspects of security so that this cannot happen again”, he insisted.
The Hawaii Attorney General’s Office announced that it will conduct a comprehensive review of how authorities responded to this disaster.
Another issue that arises is the deep causes of this devastation. The governor emphasized that, for him, this destruction is a clear demonstration of the effects of global warming. The experts agree. “These huge forest fires in Hawaii, a tropical and humid island, are very strange,” remarked Jennifer Marlon, a researcher at Yale University, to CNN. “These strange phenomena – he added – are occurring more regularly with climate change.”
Scientists emphasize the combination of strong winds and drought, without forgetting the complex geography of the island. The decrease in precipitation and the increase in temperatures have also been accompanied by the arrival of invasive plant species. A destructive cocktail.
