by Brodie Erk

Image Courtesy of CNN.org

Wildfires have always been one of the most destructive disasters in the United States but, tragically, they are only becoming more extreme in the modern era. 

The Hawaiian island Maui was decimated by wildfires last August leaving historic towns destroyed and over 300 of its residents missing. Lahaina, a famously beautiful tourist town, and former capital of the Hawaiian kingdom, was destroyed in the fire, as well as thousands of acres of farmland and forests. Hundreds of residents of Maui have been driven from their homes, and over 115 are confirmed to have perished in the blaze making this the deadliest wildfire in Hawaii’s history. 

The source of the fire, which began on the morning of August 8th, is still debated by experts, but is widely believed to have been sparked by a powerline that fell in heavy wind. Firefighters arrived at the scene early, and within a few hours, they had declared the fire extinguished and left the area to attend to other calls. Shortly after their departure, witnesses began to report another fire that had begun nearby. The response by firefighters was too slow the second time and the smaller brush fire quickly grew into the wildfire that ravaged west Maui.

Eleven Lawsuits have been filed against Hawaiian Electric, the company that owned the lines, by both the state of Hawaii and several Hawaiian citizens. “The fire was a direct and legal result of the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness, and/or unlawfulness,” one lawsuit stated. Hawaiian electric stock plummeted after the allegations, and many believe that the company is in danger: “the company has more liabilities than assets.”, says energy expert Marco Mangelsdorf.

Many residents of Hawaii blame more than just Hawaiian Electric for the fire; plantations and resorts owned by rich business-men have long competed with native businesses both in the tourism industry and in their consumption of water. “The rise of plantation capital spawned the drying of the west side of Maui,” said Kamana Beamer, a professor in Geology and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawai’i. Resorts, like plantations, also consume an incredible amount of water; the Grand Wailea, a successful Hawaiian resort, consumes 500,000 gallons of water per day according to the Hawaii Department of Water Supply.

Between these two competing industries, and the native Hawaiian farmers and workers, very little water is left over, and the environment has dried out because of this. When the fire began, it was able to burn through hundreds of acres of abandoned plantations, the perfect dry tinder before it arrived at Lahaina and other towns.

Tourists have been asked by several public figures including the president of Maui county to stay away from West Maui. However, this may have a very severe impact on Maui’s economy, with tourism accounting for almost eighty percent of all jobs on the island. Native Hawaiians who lost everything in the fire are desperately asking tourists to give them time to grieve, but are steadily realizing that rebuilding will become harder and harder without the revenue that tourists create. Because of both this dilemma and the sheer destructive nature of the fires, it may be years before the island recovers, and it is unlikely that it will ever be the same. Still many residents of Maui implore the world to not forget their struggle and move on: “Please don’t forget about us. We need help, continuous help! The recovery is just beginning.”