On Aug. 8, 2023, one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history occurred in Hawaii, primarily on the island of Maui. Lahaina, a relatively small resort town in West Maui, was burned almost completely to the ground, decimating 2,700 acres of land, destroying around 2,300 structures, and killing 115 people. For many weeks, there were suspected to be hundreds if not thousands of people missing; currently, there are 66 people that have not been found.
It has still not been confirmed how these fires started, but many suspect that a malfunction with an electrical line, mixed with dry grass and high winds, ultimately led to the wildfire that devastated Lahaina. Maui County is currently suing Hawaiian Electric because they believe the company should have been responsible for turning off the power due to the environmental conditions at the time creating a high risk for wildfires. The fire quickly got out of control because firefighters were dealing with other small fires outside of Lahaina. Additionally, some fire hydrants did not have water in them due to the increased drought severity in Maui. This was a perfect storm for destruction.
There has been lots of controversy surrounding this situation. Many criticize the local government for its potentially inadequate response, as well as the federal government for its seemingly meager aid package. One of the main criticisms is that Herman Andaya, the chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, chose not to sound the emergency alarms to alert residents that the wildfires were ravaging their community. Following the controversy, Andaya quit his job. Biden responded to this situation by distributing over $8.5 million of relief to certain families in Maui, which rounds out to about $700 per family. Many do not think he has allocated enough resources to properly alleviate the situation and support the 7,500 displaced survivors. The Biden administration is also being criticized for its lack of action involving the climate crisis, which is critical to this situation because climate change is proven to increase the length of wildfire season, wildfire frequency, and total area burned. The Biden administration does pledge to continue to support Maui as it works to rebuild.
Despite the multiple instances of mishandling the fires by both the local and federal governments, one thing that remains constant and astonishing is the strength and generosity of the Hawaiian people in such dark and uncertain times. My cousin, Daniel Albert, was staying at a resort in Lahaina when the wildfires first broke out. The fires started on a Monday and he was not able to leave the island until Friday. He describes the situation as a “horrific disaster,” acknowledging that he was incredibly privileged during these circumstances because he could leave. In the few days that he was on the island, the power was out, there was no cell service, the grocery stores had burned down, the gas stations had exploded, and everyone was scrambling to figure out how to cope with an impossible situation. It was extremely important for tourists to get off the island so the hotels could be used to house displaced Hawaiians.
My cousin stayed in a shelter for two nights waiting for his flight, and in that time he met people experiencing the worst devastation possible, who were also some of the nicest, most kind-hearted people on the planet. The people around him had lost their homes and many had lost family members as well, including one woman whose six-month-old child unfortunately passed away after she dropped him while running away and could not find him again due to the smoke. While he was trying to find the shelter, he asked a woman who worked for Hawaiian Airlines where he should go, and she immediately took him to her house, fed him, let him shower, charged his phone, and offered to let him stay the night. She has since taken in multiple families to stay with her as they recover and get back on their feet. When he finally arrived at the airport for his flight, there was an issue with his ticket, but when another Hawaiian Airlines employee heard he was trying to leave Lahaina, she told him that she had lost four family members in the fire and she would make sure he was on the next flight out. My cousin was shocked that she was even able to show up to work, let alone be so kind, after such an atrocity.
This situation is and was incredibly devastating, complicated, and life-altering for thousands of people. One thing that I have taken away from this horrific event is that the Hawaiian people need to be listened to. At this point, it seems as though Hawaiians have been the main source of support for one another and have been taking their survival into their own hands. It is hard for the government, federal or local, to know what is going on unless they are directly affected by this disaster, like those in Lahaina who have lost everything, but they still need to do a better job of supporting the people of Maui. It is important that Biden and Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, continue to pay attention to the aftermath of the Maui Wildfires as it continues to unfold and new needs have to be met. In my opinion, Biden also needs to go the extra mile to address our current climate crisis because, unfortunately, many instances like this may continue to happen all over the world due to poor emergency infrastructure and increasingly dry climates.
poli sci and history major who chronically rewatches movies/tv shows that were popular in middle school to feel something
