- The wildfires that erupted on the Hawaii island have become the deadliest natural disaster in US history
- The National Interagency Fire Center says there are about 72 million homes in the United States that are ‘at some level of risk from wildfire’
A Maui County firefighter trying to extinguish a fire near homes in Maui, Hawaii on Sunday. Photo: AFPThe Maui wildfires in Hawaii have killed at least 93, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, with the total likely to rise as cadaver dogs sift through the ruins of the historic resort city of Lahaina.
The causes of the Hawaii wildfires, which started on Tuesday night, have not yet been determined. Hawaii Governor Josh Green on Sunday called a part of the island of Maui that was devastated by wildfires a “war zone”.
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What is the deadliest wildfire in US history?
The Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin started October 8, 1871 and killed 1,152, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
At the time, Peshtigo was permanent home to about 2,000 people, although its population swollen with immigrants looking for work in the lumbering, manufacturing and railroad industries.
The town was surrounded by pine forest, all of its structures were made of wood, including its pavements. Sawdust from the town’s woodworking factory – the largest in the world – covered everything.
On October 8, 1871, following a dry winter, spring and summer, the town was a particularly vulnerable when a low-pressure system kicked up a strong wind and transformed a nearby bushfire into a conflagration, which survivors described as a wall of fire that consumed the settlement within minutes, according to the Peshtigo Historical Society.
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What is a wildfire and how vulnerable are US homes?
The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) defines wildfires as “an unplanned, unwanted fire burning in a natural area, such as a forest, grassland, or prairie.”
Nearly half the land area in the United States is composed of forest, shrub land, and grassland, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
There are currently almost 45 million US homes located near such areas. The National Interagency Fire Center estimates there are 71.8 million properties in the United States that are “at some level of risk from wildfire.” Since 2018, wildfires in the United States have destroyed nearly 63,000 structures, most which were homes.
What caused these fires to be so deadly?
The causes of some fires, including the most recent in Hawaii, are not known. However, dry and windy conditions were present for both the Maui fire this year and the California Camp Fire in 2018, as well as the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin and the Hinckley fires in Minnesota.
What role is climate change playing in wildfires?
Climate change increases hot and dry conditions that help fires spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely. Hotter weather also saps moisture from vegetation, turning it into dry fuel that helps fires to spread.
Climate change is not the only factor in wildfires. Forest management and ignition sources also play important roles. Some actions can help to limit severe blazes, such as setting controlled fires that mimic the low-intensity fires in natural ecosystem cycles, or introducing gaps within forests to stop blazes rapidly spreading over large areas.
According to the EPA, since the 1980s, of the 10 years with the largest acreage lost to wildfires, all have occurred since 2004 and coincide with the warmest years on record nationwide.
Peak wildfire season is starting earlier in the year.
In 2022, there were 66,255 wildfires in the United States, compared with 18,229 in 1983, when record-keeping began, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades,” according to the NOAA.