https://nypost.com/2023/08/10/maui-wildfire-before-and-after-photos-show-
scorched-remains/

Wildfires have devastated the city of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of
Maui, leaving the popular tourist attraction a scorched hellscape, with
only steaming pile of ash remaining.

At least 36 people have died from the devastating fires � fuelled by winds
from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles away � as it made its path through
neighborhoods, causing residents to have to take shelter in the ocean to
survive.

At least 14 people, including two children, have been rescued from the
water.

Others have suffered burns and other injuries from trying to save
themselves from the rapidly spreading disaster.

Before and after photos show the devastation left behind, with entire
neighborhoods razed to the ground.

Helicopter Pilot Richard Olsten, who has flown tourists above the island
for 50 years, said the area looked like it was �bombed.�

Nearly 300 structures, including popular tourist attractions and historic
buildings, have been destroyed by the wildfires and rubble has begun to
pile high next to the waterfront as homes, boats, and nature has been
torched to lifeless frames.

More than 11,000 have been evacuated and airlines are offering discounted
flights to help get people off the island as satellite images show nothing
but charred remains and a �decimated� scene behind.

Hurricane Dora is partly to blame for the rapidly moving flames as the
storm�s strong winds off the coast are creating problems for authorities
to contain the fire.

Patrick Childs
10 August, 2023

The real cause of this fire was negligence, although it was likely started
by an arsonist as the 2019 fire was. The fact is the area behind Lahaina
was once irrigated sugar cane and pineapple fields, well tended. Before
that the Hawaiians had surrounded the town with taro fields and orchards
of various plants such as coconut, breadfruit and kukui nut. All depicted
in historical illustrations. When agriculture disappeared for the first
time in 1,200 years, the fields reverted to Guinea Grass, a tall thick
tenacious species, Haole Koa, another fire hazard and invasive, prone to
being dry extremely flammable, and kiawe, a form of mesquite tree that
burns fast and hot.

Lahaina is always hot in the summer. It is on the leeward part of the
island and a mountain chain prevents rain. Therefore it is dry year
round. With a month without serious rain, a rather common occurrence, and
howling winds, the danger was magnified to historical proportions.

A firebreak would have minimized damage. And I will add a similar formula
for disaster exists on Kauai at Kekaha, Waianai Oahu, Kihei Maui, and
Kohala Hawaii.

Climate change had absolutely nothing to do with this travesty. Stupidity
everything.

Posty Nobody
10 August, 2023

Hawaii has naturally dry and wet sides due to prevailing winds, and the
difference can be dramatic. If fuel builds up in a dry area, it will
eventually burn. This area looks dry in the before photos - lots of brown
land where grass or green shrubs did not naturally thrive. But it's also
somewhat to the North, which is the 'wet' side. So maybe just hydrated
enough for people to get lazy about it.

If you're the Mayor or whatever in a place like that, you need to enforce
buffer zones, limit ignition sources (no overhead power lines in the
protected zone), and have a fire plan that covers '100 year' wildfires.
It takes only a tipped-over campstove or an arsonist to make that 100 year
wildfire happen in the next 10.

You can't control Nature, you can adapt to it. Or just hang on the beach
and figure it's someone else's problem. Your choice.

--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.