What we know about the Maui wildfires

Unprecedented wildfires have been raging for days in the Hawaiian island of Maui in what can only be described as an apocalyptic nightmare. The devastating blaze has destroyed much of the island, including the town of Lāhainā, which was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom before its annexation by the U.S, and remains an important cultural and economic hub on the island.

As of Friday, Aug. 11, at least 55 people have died as a result of the fires. Many have been displaced and over 11,000 residents have been left with no access to power. Although the fires have been contained, the insurmountable damage they caused may take years to fully recover.

Although the origin of the fires is hard to trace, there are multiple factors that all played a role in causing the wildfires to spread into a disastrous inferno. Our colleague Mike Pearl's detailed article explores how we got here.