re: Wildfires on Maui Island - Evacuations - People Fleeing into Ocean

Another big complicating/contributing factor, which often gets buried under sensationalism in stories and reports is that Hawaii has been changed significantly over recent decades, purposefully by humans:


Per CNN (deep within an article):

quote:

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Nonnative species now cover nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s total land area, and invasive grasses and shrubs become highly flammable in the dry season, Trauernicht said.

Hawaii also has lost large plantations and ranches, with fire-prone grasses overtaking fallow lands, he said.

“When plantations were active, firefighters would show up on scene … people would be there opening the gates, all the roads were maintained, there was water infrastructure and equipment. And they would have support from the people working on these plantations,” Trauernicht said.

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You import non-native species, you stop farming and managing the land, and let the non-native species take over......and here we are.

The reality is that non-native plant species are just not adapted to the conditions of the area. They literally become kindling when not managed. They don't cope with fire the way native species do. Couple that with farmland, that often functions as a fire break, has fallen into disuse and been overrun with the species, and you have a major problem when it gets dry and the wind picks up.