Hawaii’s Governor, Josh Green, remarked on Sunday that the influence of global warming played a significant role in the Maui wildfire’s devastating impact. This wildfire led to the obliteration of a historic town and has tragically claimed the lives of a minimum of 93 individuals.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart,” Green delved into the devastation that unfolded in the centuries-old town of Lahaina. He likened the wildfire to a “fire hurricane,” characterized by relentless 80 mph winds and scorching “1,000-degree heat that birthed fire cyclones sweeping through structures.”
Green lamented, “Lahaina has been reduced to ashes. The once-thriving town now resembles a war zone—utterly razed to the ground.”
He attributed the rapid spread of the blaze to the potent winds from Hurricane Dora, which skirted the island’s southern fringes the previous week, coupled with the parched drought conditions that had gripped Maui.
“In the instances where fire leapt from one point to another—simultaneously igniting three or four fires—it found fertile ground due to the 80 mph gusts,” he explained. “Subsequently, the fire progressed at an astonishing pace, effectively moving at a mile per minute, a blistering 60 mph, sweeping through the community.”
“In the era marked by the impacts of global warming, this is the visage of a fire hurricane,” Green asserted.
Green, emphasizing the ubiquity of the issue, stated, “Global warming is an undeniable reality for us and the world over.” He issued a rallying cry for collective action to curtail and undo its consequences.
The Lahaina fire has now become the most deadly wildfire in the United States in over a hundred years. The recovery and identification of remains are posing challenges as the bodies have been reduced to ash and are disintegrating upon touch.
In response to criticisms regarding the failure of the island’s siren system to timely alert residents about the approaching wildfire, Green acknowledged the ongoing investigation into whether sufficient measures were taken to activate the sirens. He noted that the wildfire severely disrupted telecommunications infrastructure.
“Otherwise, as is our customary practice, we would have disseminated information in seconds via our cellphones,” Green affirmed, while assuring that thorough investigations will ensue to provide the answers that people rightfully seek.