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.

An illustration of Kamehameha I.
Credit: World Book illus by Richard Bonson, The Art Agency

Who was Kamehameha, and why do we celebrate him on June 11th? Kamehameha I founded the Kingdom of Hawaii. After Kalaniopu’u, the chief of Hawaii, died in 1782, Kamehameha conquered the island. He later won additional victories. He brought the island of Kauai into the kingdom peacefully in 1810. Kamehameha V named June 11th a public holiday in honor of his grandfather. The early celebrations included carnivals and races. Kamehameha Day was one of the first official state public holidays when Hawaii became a state in 1959. Today, Hawaiians celebrate with traditional customs, including hula. Hula is a traditional Hawaiian dance. Kamehameha is featured on the United States quarter, stretching his hand toward the eight islands of Hawaii.

The Hawaii state quarter featuring Kamehameha I reaching out to the eight islands of Hawaii.
Credit: U.S. Mint

Many chiefs ruled the islands of Hawaii separately. However, Kamehameha was the first to unite the islands. He gained control of Hawaii Island in a bloody 10-year war that began in 1782. With the aid of firearms obtained from white traders, he captured and united the other main islands in 1795, except for Kauai and Niihau. He conquered in the 1795 bloody Battle of Nuuanu Pali on the island of Oahu, using cannons to drive Oahu’s defenders over a cliff near Honolulu.

The local chiefs served as governors of their islands under King Kamehameha I of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1810, Kaumualii, ruler of Kauai and Niihau, accepted Kamehameha’s rule. Kamehameha successfully united all eight islands of Hawaii.

Kamehameha greatly increased Hawaii’s foreign trade. Between 1811 and 1830, Hawaii shipped great quantities of sandalwood to China. Money from the sandalwood trade provided a major source of income for Kamehameha I and two later kings. The kings used the money to buy arms, clothing, ships, and other goods.

Kamehameha kept alive the old customs and religion of his people, but after his death on May 5, 1819, missionaries spread Christianity throughout the islands. Kamehameha was born in the Kohala district of the island of Hawaii. A statue of him represents Hawaii in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Kamehameha’s son Liholiho became Kamehameha II after his father died in 1819. As one of his first acts, Kamehameha II abolished the religion of the Hawaiian kingdom. This religion included many orders of priests, the belief in many gods and goddesses, and strict taboos. But the king allowed the practice of personal religious beliefs.

Lava fountains and flows illuminate the area during the Mauna Loa volcano eruption in Hawaii, U.S. November 30, 2022.
Credit: © Go Nakamura, Reuters/Alamy Images

That’s a whole lotta lava! Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupted on November 27, 2022, and it hasn’t stopped. Mauna Loa is in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii. It rises 13,677 feet (4,169 meters) from sea level to its peak. That is about 12 Eiffel Towers standing on top of each other! At the top is Mokuaweoweo, a crater. But wait, there is more! The Kilauea, a volcano that lies on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa, is also erupting. The two volcanoes are creating a dual eruption that has continued since late November.

Mauna Loa, meaning long mountain, spans about half the surface of Hawaii’s Big Island. It covers 10.5 miles from the base to the summit. It hasn’t erupted in 38 years! Most volcanologists consider any volcano that has erupted in the last 10,000 years or so to be active. Some of them use the term dormant to describe an active volcano that is not currently erupting or showing signs of a coming eruption. Volcanologists label a volcano extinct if there is strong evidence it will never erupt again.

Mauna Loa’s continued eruption has shot lava into the sky and down the slope of the mountain. The lava flow is dangerously close to a pivotal highway on the Big Island. Daniel K. Inouye highway connects the eastern and western halves of the island. As the lava flow galumphed at a rate of 40 to 60 feet an hour, officials activated the National Guard to the scene on Tuesday, 9 days after the eruption began. Officials have a plan for shutting down the highway if the lava gets much closer.

Scientists can predict the behavior of volcanic eruptions by looking at past eruptions. There is plenty of data on Kilauea since it has erupted off and on since the mid-1950′s. Kilauea erupted in 2018 engulfing around 700 homes in lava and spewing volcanic ash 30,000 feet into the air. While scientists know what Kilauea is capable of, they do not have much information on Mauna Loa.

Mauna Loa’s longest eruption lasted 18 months in 1855-1856. Most of the lava produced by eruptions comes from rifts (cracks) in the mountain’s sides, not from the peak crater. In 1926, lava destroyed a coastal settlement. Parts of other settlements were buried in 1950. A 1984 eruption sent lava flowing to within 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) of the city of Hilo.