Fate is increasingly gloomy, ash-colored. The death toll from the raging fire on the Hawaiian island of Maui now rises to 80. Bad omens suggest that this will not be the end of the count and that this tragedy is on its way to being the fire with the most victims in American history.
The residents of Lahaina, a historic city and former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, return to their homes and are in shock to see how their lives have been reduced, all their possessions and memories turned into ruins. Meanwhile, the governor of the archipelago, Josh Green, and other authorities have expressed their conviction that among the many missing there are still enough bodies.
Confirmed figures already place the ravages of this incident above the 1960 tsunami, which caused 61 deaths. Also, at any time, the Maui fire could become the deadliest fire in modern American history. Until now, the deadliest that is known is that of Camp Fire, California, which was registered in 2018. The town of Paradise was destroyed with a balance of 85 deaths.
And the danger is still not fully under control. The Lahaina front appears to be under control, but other fronts remain active on the island. The evacuation of Kaanapali, in the west area, was ordered Friday night. Hours later it was managed to get it under control. This led to long queues on the roads and a feeling that the bottom has not yet been hit.
In the midst of the desolation, tears, complaints and questions arise. Many assure that at no time did they hear the alarm siren, generally a system that usually works well. They are right. They did not hear the sirens because they were deactivated, several official sources explained to NBC. Once the fire loomed over the citizens, three other alert systems were activated, especially messages to mobile phones that, due to the circumstances, lacked coverage.
Many residents of Lahaina, the hardest-hit area, believe they were not given enough notice, leading to further confusion.
The governor assured last morning that he has authorized a review of the emergency response, despite the fact that the extraordinary power of the wind –with peaks of 128 kilometers per hour and a constant power of more than 100– fueled the speed of the fire and complicated all efforts.
Questioned by CNN, Green stressed that the flames reignited in Lahaina earlier in the week, when crews were focused on other fires that were developing in other parts of the island.
Telecommunications infrastructures were destroyed by the fierceness of the flames, which further complicated operations. "This is not about looking for excuses and we are going to review all security aspects so that this cannot happen again," he insisted.
The Hawaii Attorney General's Office announced that it will conduct a comprehensive review of how authorities responded to this catastrophe.
Another question that arises is the root causes of this devastation. The governed stressed that, for him, this destruction is a clear demonstration of the effects of global warming. The experts agree with him. "These huge forest fires are very rare in Hawaii, a tropical and humid island," Jennifer Marlon, a researcher at Yale University, told CNN. "These strange phenomena," she added, "are occurring more regularly with climate change."
Scientists highlight the combination of strong winds and drought, without forgetting the complex geography of the island. In addition to the decrease in rainfall and the increase in temperatures, the arrival of invasive plant species has also been added. A destructive cocktail.
