Maui Wildfire Becomes Deadliest U.S. Blaze In Over A Century
Over the weekend, the number of people who died due to the wildfires in Maui has reached 93. As per county officials, this is the deadliest American wildfire in more than 100 years and the fifth deadliest wildfire ever recorded. Sadly, the final count of casualties is expected to go up.
KEY FACTS
- The Maui wildfires are now the deadliest fire in the USA since 1918. That year, there were fires in Cloquet & Moose Lake which killed 453 people in northeastern Minnesota. The National Fire Protection Association provided this information. The Cloquet & Moose Lake fires were blamed on a spark from a passing train during a very dry season.
The Maui fires didn’t cause as many deaths as three other wildfires that happened a long time ago. In 1871, the Peshtigo Fire killed 1,152 people in Wisconsin on the same night as the big Chicago Fire. Then in 1881, lightning started the Thumb Fire, which hit three counties in Michigan and killed 282 people. In 1894, the Great Hinckley Fire destroyed three towns in Minnesota and killed 418 people. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), these three wildfires had higher death counts than the Maui fires.
- No cause has ever been declared for the Great Fire of 1910, which burned three million acres of timberland in northern Idaho and western Montana while claiming the lives of 87 people, most of whom were firefighters, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
- The deadliest fire in 100 years before Maui’s blaze, the Camp Fire was caused by faulty electric transmission line, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. pleaded guilty in 2020 to killing 84 of the 85 victims.
KEY BACKGROUND
The brush fires that started on Tuesday on West Maui have caused immense destruction and have resulted in the death of at least 93 people. West Maui, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations, encompasses the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. The fires spread rapidly to Lahaina due to strong winds from Hurricane Dora, impeding the efforts of firefighters who were working to control the blaze. The hurricane winds caused extensive damage to the roads and made it difficult to ground helicopters. Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was quoted to have said that the state was prepared for hurricane rain, but it couldn’t anticipate widespread wildfires. Moreover, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency noted that none of the 80 outdoor warning sirens across Maui were activated, leaving residents without enough time for evacuation. Currently, 5000 people are still without electricity and have lost their homes.