An aerial view of the Maui wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023.
Credit: US Civil Air Patrol

Wildfires, driven by strong winds and fueled by dry conditions, caused great destruction and loss of life on the Hawaiian island of Maui. With strong winds stemming from a distant hurricane and warmer temperatures on the island due to climate change, the wildfires caught and spread rapidly. Three wildfires started in Maui on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023. The Upcountry Wildfire fire began in central Maui minutes after midnight. The fires in Lahaina and Pulehu started later on in the morning. The catastrophic fires took many by surprise as the island was unprepared for the severity of the wildfires.

President Joe Biden issued a federal disaster declaration following the devastation on Thursday, August 10th. Some wildfires started on the Big Island and Oahu but were quickly contained. The Army, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and National Guard began efforts to extinguish fires and rescue and aid survivors. As firefighters worked to contain the blaze, the death toll climbed to 99 on Monday, August 15th. Many officials warn the number could increase as search and rescue efforts continue throughout the island.

Soldiers in the Hawaii National Guard assist in search and rescue efforts after the Maui wildfires in Lahaina on Aug. 10, 2023.
Credit: Andrew Jackson, US National Guard

Fires destroyed much of the historic town of Lahaina, killing dozens of people and forcing thousands to evacuate. Lahaina, a town with 13,000 residents on northwestern Maui, was hit the hardest. Officials report more than 2,200 buildings were burned to ash and molten metal, including many residential buildings. Fatalities in Lahaina account for most of the death toll from the three fires.

The wildfires have killed more people than the 1960 tsunami that killed 61 on the Big Island. The Laihana wildfire has become the deadliest wildfire on American soil since 1918. In 1918, sparks from a railroad in dry conditions set off a wildfire in Cloquet, Minnesota, killing an estimated 453 people. The deadliest fire in United States history occurred in 1871 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, killing 1,152 people.

Two days before the wildfires began, the National Weather Service in Honolulu announced a fire weather watch due to strong winds and low humidity. However, officials underestimated how fast the fires could spread on a tropical island known for rain forests. Warnings continued on Monday, announcing “critical fire weather conditions.” Hawaii boasts the world’s most extensive emergency alarm system, with 400 outdoor sirens throughout the state territory. Maui has 80 of those sirens. However, the island’s emergency alert systems failed when the fires began. Not one siren blared. On Tuesday, the county officials sent alerts through cell phones, radios, and television. However, many residents had already lost electricity and cell service. Many survivors said they never received an official warning or order to evacuate the area. Some residents only realized there were fires when their home smoke alarm sounded.

The fire spread so quickly that many did not have time to grab essential supplies before leaving their homes. Many people evacuating by car or bicycle were forced to run into the ocean as fires caught up to them. Residents fled through thick smoke and gusts of wind with burning embers swirling around them. Hawaii Governor Josh Green explained the strong winds, reaching up to 80 miles (128 kilometers) per hour, kept first responders from using helicopters to extinguish fires and look for survivors.

As search and rescue efforts continue, the death toll could rise. Many homes burned down have not been checked for survivors or deceased residents. Survivors have been unable to reach family members and friends due to the loss of cell service throughout the island. People are using public radio stations, social media, and county websites to post where survivors are taking shelter.

Experts believe the wildfire was initially started by a power line that fell due to high winds in the area. Many residents are wondering how the fire spread so rapidly. One theory is the presence of nonnative grasses on the island. Farmers planted grasses for livestock. The last sugar cane plantation shut down in Maui in 2016, allowing nonnative grasses to spread unchecked.

On Sunday, August 13th, the Lahaina fire was 85 percent contained. FEMA announced the cost to rebuild after the Lahaina fire would be close to 5.52 billion dollars. With more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares) burned and 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed, many families and businesses will be starting over.

Even if their homes were untouched and standing, many households remain without power. The Maui County authorities advised that residents should not drink tap water. Many people could not find gasoline or clean water through the weekend. As many as 4,500 people are seeking shelter and supplies on Maui. While the search continues, charities and volunteers send survivors bottled water, food, medicine, and other supplies.

Australian soccer player Sam Kerr
Credit: © FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock

If you’ve been following the World Cup, you have probably heard of Australian player Sam Kerr. The star striker returned from sitting out of the games due to a calf injury. Kerr joined the Matildas to defeat Denmark 2 to 0 on Monday, August 7th.

Sam Kerr is an Australian soccer star. Kerr, a striker, represented Australia in the FIFAWorld Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2019. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Soccer is called football in much of the world. In 2019, Kerr became the first Australian to score three goals, a feat known as a hat trick, in a World Cup match.

In 2008, Kerr played her first match in the W-League, the top Australian women’s soccer league, with Perth Glory FC in Western Australia. FC stands for football club. The W-League was renamed the A-League starting in 2022. In 2012, Kerr moved to Sydney FC, a W-League team from New South Wales. She helped Sydney FC win the 2012-2013 W-League championship before returning to Perth in 2014. Kerr also played in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the top women’s professional soccer league in the United States. She made her NWSL debut in 2013. The Australian and U.S. leagues compete in different months of the year, enabling Kerr to play for both leagues.

In 2020, Kerr left the W-League and the NSWL and joined the Football Association (FA) Women’s Super League in England. With Chelsea FC Woman, a Super League team from London, she won multiple Super League titles and two FA Cups. She is the only female player to earn the Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer, in three international soccer leagues: the A-League, the NSWL, and the FA Super League.

Samantha May Kerr was born on Sept. 10, 1993, in Fremantle, Western Australia. She grew up playing Australian Rules football. Her father and brother both played Australian Rules football in the Australian Football League (AFL). Kerr switched to soccer when she was around 12 years old.

At age 15, Kerr joined the Australian national women’s team, known as the Matildas. She played in her first international match in 2009. Kerr was named Young Australian of the Year in 2018. In 2022, she was awarded the Order of Australia. Kerr was named captain of the Matildas in 2019. She also represented Australia at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 19, 2019

If your birthday is in August, you have two birthstones—the gems associated with the month of your birth: peridot and sardonyx. Peridots are a variety of a common rock-forming mineral called olivine. A high iron content gives peridots their distinctive green color. The sardonyx is a multi-colored variety of chalcedony, a fine-grained form of the mineral quartz. Most sardonyx has straight or slightly curved bands of reddish-brown and white. Both peridot and sardonyx have long been used in jewelry and decorative objects.

Peridot is one of two August birthstones. The other is sardonyx. Credit: © Albert Russ, Shutterstock

Peridots have been known since Biblical times, and legend says the stones improve health, guard against insanity, and slow the human aging process. Peridots are also said to increase assertiveness, patience, and clarity of thought and to encourage prosperity and happiness. Jewelers cut and polish the highest-quality peridot stones so that each gem has many flat surfaces called facets. Faceted peridots are used in all types of fine jewelry. Jewelers cut lesser-quality peridots into a rounded style called cabochon or polish them with abrasives in a process called tumbling. These lesser-quality peridots are used in costume jewelry and decorative objects. The earliest source of peridots was Jazirat Zabarjad (St. John’s Island), off the Egyptian coast in the Red Sea. In the United States, Arizona and New Mexico are important commercial sources of peridots.

Sardonyx is a multi-colored variety of chalcedony. Credit: © Vlad3563/Dreamstime

In ancient Egypt, sardonyx was considered a protective stone, and it was used to ward off evil. Modern folklore credits sardonyx with encouraging confidence, creativity, happiness, integrity, optimism, and even virtuous behavior. It is said to help students preparing for exams, authors dealing with writers block, or anyone faced with a job requiring mental discipline. Jewelers usually cut sardonyx flat or with a domed shape to bring out the bands of color. Cameos (engraved gems) are sometimes cut from sardonyx to take advantage of its color. The chief sources of sardonyx are Brazil, India, and Uruguay.

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Birthstones, according to tradition, bring good luck when worn by a person born in the associated month. Credit: WORLD BOOK illustrations by Paul D. Turnbaugh

According to tradition, a birthstone brings good luck to a person born in its month. Each birthstone also corresponds to a sign of the zodiac. The belief in birthstones may have come from a Bible story about Aaron, the first high priest of the Israelites. The story describes Aaron’s breastplate, which was decorated with 12 precious stones. Early writers linked these stones with the 12 months of the year and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The custom of wearing a stone that represented a person’s zodiac sign probably originated in Germany or Poland in the 1700′s.