2023-08-31 05:52:01
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) — The National Weather Service warned Friday that gusty winds and low humidity have increased the risk of fire spread on the western portions of each Hawaiian island, three weeks following that a deadly fire swept through a coastal town on Maui during a similar alert.
But the agency said the winds will not be as strong as they were on Aug. 8, when blazes tore through much of Lahaina, killing at least 115 people and destroying more than 2,000 structures. The fire was the deadliest in US history in more than a century.
In Lahaina, the flames were fanned by wind gusts of up to 60 mph (97 km/h). This time around, the forecast calls for winds between 15 and 30 mph (28 to 48 km/h) with gusts of up to 50 mph (80 km/h), said Maureen Ballard, an agency meteorologist at the Office of Honolulu.
“There is a big difference between the wind speed in this event and the one on August 8,” Ballard said.
The agency issued a red flag advisory for the leeward areas of the Hawaiian Islands Thursday followingnoon, noting that gusty winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation and trees might contribute to “extreme fire behavior.” . In addition, he urged the population to delay activities that might cause sparks.
The Lahaina fire was fueled by strong winds fanned by a combination of Hurricane Dora, which passed regarding 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the south, and a very powerful high-pressure system to the north of the archipelago.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it is possible that it was caused by exposed power lines and power poles falling due to strong winds.
Maui’s power company, Hawaiian Electric, acknowledged that its power lines caused a fire on Maui, but blamed county firefighters for containing it and leaving the scene before another started nearby.
The county has sued the company.
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