Social Media Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 The Hawaii wildfires have reached a grim milestone as the death toll rose to 67, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the state's history. Hundreds more have been reported missing and the toll may still rise. It comes as Lahaina residents are being allowed to briefly return home on Friday to take stock of the damage to their fire-ravaged town. They returned amid warnings they would be greeted by "destruction like they've not ever seen in their lives". State officials reopened Lahaina to people with proof of residency on Friday for the first time since flames swept rapidly through early this week, razing much of the historic town. A curfew will operate daily from 22:00 to 06:00 local time, and some of the hardest hit parts of the town remain restricted to search and rescue personnel. West Maui, where Lahaina is located, is still without power and water. Search crews are still in the area looking for wildfire victims. Governor Josh Green warned Hawaiians what they found in Lahaina would be hard to see. "Lahaina is a devastated zone. They will see destruction like they've not ever seen in their lives," said the governor, who visited the town on Thursday. "Be very safe, be very careful." Warnings over Maui fires came late, evacuees say What caused the Hawaii wildfires? FULL STORY 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipalongcassidy Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Even Hawaii has lands that need to be managed in order to prevent this sort of thing especially in areas that have been invaded by humans... this fire is a direct result of mismanagement. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 An inflammatory post contravening our Community Standards has been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tug Posted August 12, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted August 12, 2023 19 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said: Even Hawaii has lands that need to be managed in order to prevent this sort of thing especially in areas that have been invaded by humans... this fire is a direct result of mismanagement. I’m sorry but I feel that comment is really uncalled for the island was experiencing extreme winds and dry conditions they do not have access to big city fire equipment being a small rural island the conditions were so bad that helicopters couldn’t fly meanwhile we have 67 dead Americans and many homes lost not to mention god only knows how many beloved pets family histories ect ect a deeply sad day on that beautiful island my condolences to the bereaved 5 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
placeholder Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 2 hours ago, Tug said: I’m sorry but I feel that comment is really uncalled for the island was experiencing extreme winds and dry conditions they do not have access to big city fire equipment being a small rural island the conditions were so bad that helicopters couldn’t fly meanwhile we have 67 dead Americans and many homes lost not to mention god only knows how many beloved pets family histories ect ect a deeply sad day on that beautiful island my condolences to the bereaved Well, there had been warnings about the serious threat posed by fires since 2014. And apparently nothing was done about that. And should have been. On the other had, sometimes conditions are so bad, that preventative measures simply aren't enough. In Australia, for instance, it was argued that the fires were so bad because the usual preventative measures weren't taken. That turned out to be untrue. Even areas that had been thinned etc, fire raged out of control. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post placeholder Posted August 12, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted August 12, 2023 Devastating Hawaii fires made ‘much more dangerous’ by climate change Hawaii is experiencing increasingly dry conditions, with scientists calculating that 90% of the state is getting less rainfall than it did a century ago, with the period since 2008 particularly dry. The growing susceptibility of Hawaii to major fires was highlighted by a 2015 study that found that rainfall has been 31% lower in the wet season since 1990, in selected monitoring sites on the islands. The state, known for its volcanoes and lush forests, is in parts drying out as global heating continues to escalate. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/11/hawaii-fires-made-more-dangerous-by-climate-crisis 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hawaiian Posted August 12, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted August 12, 2023 1 hour ago, placeholder said: Devastating Hawaii fires made ‘much more dangerous’ by climate change Hawaii is experiencing increasingly dry conditions, with scientists calculating that 90% of the state is getting less rainfall than it did a century ago, with the period since 2008 particularly dry. The growing susceptibility of Hawaii to major fires was highlighted by a 2015 study that found that rainfall has been 31% lower in the wet season since 1990, in selected monitoring sites on the islands. The state, known for its volcanoes and lush forests, is in parts drying out as global heating continues to escalate. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/11/hawaii-fires-made-more-dangerous-by-climate-crisis Most of the areas where frequent brush fires occur are lands that were deforested for the planting of pineapple and sugar or the establishment of cattle ranches. These are lands that already had a history of low rainfall and were irrigated. Now that sugar and most of the pineapple is gone fast growing invasive grasses, such as guinea grass from Africa, have taken over. During the summer months these grasses are easily ignited by dry lightning. Two years ago one of these fires came close to torching our home. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
placeholder Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 13 minutes ago, Hawaiian said: Most of the areas where frequent brush fires occur are lands that were deforested for the planting of pineapple and sugar or the establishment of cattle ranches. These are lands that already had a history of low rainfall and were irrigated. Now that sugar and most of the pineapple is gone fast growing invasive grasses, such as guinea grass from Africa, have taken over. During the summer months these grasses are easily ignited by dry lightning. Two years ago one of these fires came close to torching our home. I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunLA Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, Tug said: I’m sorry but I feel that comment is really uncalled for the island was experiencing extreme winds and dry conditions they do not have access to big city fire equipment being a small rural island the conditions were so bad that helicopters couldn’t fly meanwhile we have 67 dead Americans and many homes lost not to mention god only knows how many beloved pets family histories ect ect a deeply sad day on that beautiful island my condolences to the bereaved I thought Tug's comment was spot on. If not mismanaged, then they would have been prepared for such an 'incident'. Govts, local, county, state, fed are suppose to pass regulations on 'what if' scenarios. Edited August 12, 2023 by KhunLA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargeezr Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Any fire that is wind driven is not something that can be stopped as ashes fly so far. This tragic fire spread because of the high winds from the hurricane passing by Hawaii. People use climate change on everything these days. Dry conditions are common at this time of year so quit the climate change blame game. Just saying. my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipalongcassidy Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 18 hours ago, Tug said: I’m sorry but I feel that comment is really uncalled for the island was experiencing extreme winds and dry conditions they do not have access to big city fire equipment being a small rural island the conditions were so bad that helicopters couldn’t fly meanwhile we have 67 dead Americans and many homes lost not to mention god only knows how many beloved pets family histories ect ect a deeply sad day on that beautiful island my condolences to the bereaved Doesn't change the fact that the island ecosystem has been mismanaged for decades... the best solution is prevention... not condolences. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Social Media Posted August 13, 2023 Author Share Posted August 13, 2023 Latest........... Maui fire: 93 killed as governor warns of 'significant' death toll rise Ninety-three people have been confirmed killed in the Maui fire that razed the historic town of Lahaina, marking the most deadly US fire in a century. The number of victims could rise "significantly", Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned on Saturday, as forensic work continues to identify the victims. Hundreds remain unaccounted for while hundreds of others fill shelters across Maui after fleeing the flames. "It's an impossible day," Mr Green said. The fire will "certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced", he said. "We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding." While the wildfires are now largely under control, efforts to fully extinguish them are continuing in parts of the island, including around Lahaina, which has been devastated. What caused the Hawaii wildfires? Famous banyan tree and centuries-old church hit by Hawaii fires Survivors describe harrowing escapes from the flames https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66489815 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 22 hours ago, Stargeezr said: Any fire that is wind driven is not something that can be stopped as ashes fly so far. This tragic fire spread because of the high winds from the hurricane passing by Hawaii. People use climate change on everything these days. Dry conditions are common at this time of year so quit the climate change blame game. Just saying. my opinion. "People use climate change on everything these days" That's because climate change is affecting everything at a frightening accelerating pace. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunLA Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Another inaccurate headline: "77 years ago, on April Foolʻs Day 1946, Hilo and the surrounding coast was hit by the most devastating tsunami in Hawaiʻi’s modern history. The death toll was 158." Along with ... was it a natural disaster? as cause of fire is unknown. Was it powerline ignited, or someone's brush fire that got out of control ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Social Media Posted August 15, 2023 Author Share Posted August 15, 2023 Hawaii wildfires: Crews may find 10 to 20 wildfire victims a day - governor Recovery crews combing through homes and vehicles burned to a cinder in Hawaii are likely to find 10 to 20 more victims per day, the governor has warned. The death toll grew to 96 on Sunday, making this the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Governor Josh Green told CBS News it could take up to 10 days to learn the full death toll. The number of missing now stands at around 1,300, he said. Nearly the entire town of Lahaina was destroyed in the fire. "There is nothing to see except full devastation," Mr Green told CBS, the BBC's US news partner, on Sunday. All residents of Lahaina - home to 12,000 people - probably escaped or perished in the fire, he added. He said crews would probably discover more victims and that it would take time to identify them. Laser beams and other Hawaii fire conspiracy theories "It's hard to recognise anybody," Mr Green said. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66470121 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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