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The tragic fires in Lahaina, Hawaii have destroyed that historic town, and cost nearly 100 people their lives. That number may go up. While many will point a finger at climate change are we letting human error and stupidity off the hook?
As with many tragedies human mistakes were made. The island of Maui reportedly has the world’s largest outdoor siren warning system with some 80 sirens. Nobody heard them because they were not activated. In a statewide risk assessment, wildfires was given a “low risk” status. I assume the state of Hawaii determined that tsunamis and hurricanes were a greater risk.
On this continent, many of the wildfires are the result of improper forest management, including the lack of thinning of forest underbrush. Many of the fires have been caused by electrical wires of poorly maintained power transmission lines making contact with the trees.
Urban growth and the paving over of wetlands has created a situation in which rainwater has no place to go, causing floods. City planners allow mansions to be built on precipitous edges of cliffs where inevitable erosion causes them to slide into the ocean.
