Death Toll Rises as Fires Spread on Maui
Wildfires on the Hawaiian island Maui have killed at least 55 people since breaking out on Tuesday.
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Although the exact cause of the wildfires is undetermined, it’s predicted that they may have started as a result of dry weather and high-speed winds from Hurricane Dora, a category-four hurricane that was roughly 800 miles from Hawaii on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The fires are expected to subside as wind speeds in Hawaii slow in the coming days.
“We have suffered a terrible disaster,” said Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, “in the form of a wildfire that has spread widely across Maui and Hawai’i Counties as a result of very strong winds in the region and underlying drought conditions.”
We have suffered a terrible disaster in the form of a wildfire that has spread widely across Maui and Hawai’i Counties as a result of very strong winds in the region and underlying drought conditions. pic.twitter.com/38Pasba9Ol
— Governor Josh Green (@GovJoshGreenMD) August 10, 2023
To assist islanders, President Joe Biden has ordered “all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response.” The Department of Transportation has also begun to work with commercial airlines to help evacuate tourists from the island, and the Hawaiian National Guard has mobilized helicopters to search for and rescue victims of the fire.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. addressed the fires in a Facebook post.
“We are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time,” Bissen said. “In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a ‘kaiaulu,’ or community, as we rebuild with resilience and aloha.”
Emma Verrigni is a rising sophomore at Hillsdale College studying history and journalism. A member of The American Spectator’s 2023 intern class, Emma enjoys reading philosophy and the news.
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