What Happened to Lahaina? Unveiling Its Battle With Winds and Flames
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes due to deadly wildfires raging in Hawaii, fed by a combination of atmospheric and ground conditions that can produce “fire weather.” Much of Maui’s historic town of Lahaina was destroyed by a large fire.
Workers saved 17 persons who had jumped into the Lahaina port to try and flee the flames. Business owner Alan Dickar recounted witnessing structures “engulfed” in flames on both sides of Front Street, a well-known tourist destination.
Although the destruction to the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui was more thoroughly limited on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
What is the Reason Behind the Fire?
When the flames started, many of Hawaii was under a red flag fire risk warning, but its exact origin is still a mystery.
The National Weather Service reported that Hurricane Dora, a storm sweeping across the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles south of the Hawaiian islands was responsible for the strong winds fanning the fires.
While well to the south of the Hawaiian Islands, Hurricane Dora is creating strong winds across the Islands which are creating dangerous fire conditions. https://t.co/12ut6VYhbx
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 9, 2023
The cyclone, which the Central Pacific Cyclone Center downgraded to a Category 4 on Wednesday, August 9 morning was a factor in the 60 mph+ wind gusts that tore through Maui, downing power lines and causing property damage.
Several #wildfires are burning across parts of Hawaii this week, fueled in part by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing to the south. @NOAA‘s GOESWest was tracking the hotspots and smoke from the fires as they burned across parts of Maui and the Big Island yesterday evening.… pic.twitter.com/WzApS2ddTi
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 9, 2023
In a tweet on August 7, the National Weather Service highlighted that the hurricane’s atmospheric pressure and the air to the north of Hawaii differed significantly creating a pressure gradient over the islands that, when paired with dry conditions made a severe risk of fires and damaging winds.
Strongest winds in yellows & oranges on map result from significant pressure differences between high & low-pressures. Combined w/ dry conditions, these winds pose a serious fire & damaging wind threat. Stay alert! 🔥☁️
— NWSHonolulu (@NWSHonolulu) August 7, 2023
Adam Weintraub, a Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson said that the department’s records do not indicate that Maui’s warning sirens were activated on Tuesday, August 8. According to Weintraub, the county deployed emergency alerts broadcast on radio, television and mobile devices.
As the wind gusts increased on August 8 evening, National Guard helicopters activated as part of the state’s emergency response to the wildfires were forced to land.
Few months ago, a natural disaster happened at the Turkey and many people’s lost their life, to know more about this incident check out our below post:
How Many People Died in the Incident?
The number of individuals confirmed killed in the wildfires increased to 55 on Friday, August 11. However, authorities are unsure of how many people perished in the Lahaina fire or how many others may still be missing. The governor predicted that recovering the remains would take days or weeks.
The fire that ravaged Lahaina was 80% contained as of Thursday, August 10. According to Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura, none of the three active fires had been completely removed. The cost of the fire damage is “without a doubt” in the billions of dollars.
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