In early August of 2023, the coast of Maui’s beloved city of Lahaina became licked with the flames of a fast-growing wildfire that is quickly destroying the island’s sacred biodiversity. According to the National Fire Protection, in the span of a month, the fire has become ranked in the top 10 U.S. wildfires on record since 1871. The death toll rose to about 114 people on Sunday, August 20, however, there are still over 1,000 people unaccounted for. The wildfires displaced thousands of Maui’s residents, causing them to lose power and communication, and drastically changing their lives in the long term.
The fires are not only damaging the island but damaging people’s hearts, and lives. Lahaina on its own is one of the most adored and iconic cities on the island, and the uncontrollable blaze has devoured the city leaving it completely unrecognizable. Maui is the most visited island in Hawaii, typically holding around 3 million tourists per year, making tourism a large factor in Maui’s economy. When asked her opinion on how the fires would affect Maui’s economy, Bishop O’Dowd student Phoebe Aldrich ’25, who recently visited the island, stated, “The aftermath of these fires will likely be devastating to countless businesses that rely on the tourism economy, which is a multifaceted topic in Hawaii as tourism is a vital source of income to many locals yet also endangers the natural environment.”
Help towards the island is coming from all corners of the world. American citizens across the country are doing everything they can to provide support to everyone suffering due to the fires. At Bishop O’Dowd High School, in Oakland, CA, the student body held “Dollar Day” in which students each brought a dollar towards the Maui Strong Fund to help aid all those affected by the damages of the fires. Together, they raised over $2,000 to support the victims of this tragedy. Regarding how the U.S. as a whole is responding, President Joe Biden has pledged to give $95 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Hawaii, to help rebuild the island after these devastating fires. This donation will provide immense support to the well-being of the residents and to the restructuring of the city.
Although many people are devastated by the destruction of the fire, some believe it to be a result of climate change, and should serve as a wake-up call for the changes that need to be made in the world to prevent further destruction like this from happening. Phoebe Aldrich ’25 explains, “It is highly possible that climate change played a role in these devastating fires due to drought and weakened ecosystems from the tourism industry,” when asked about the possible connection between climate change and the Maui fires. Although the island is known for its tropical conditions, the recent droughts are unarguable evidence of climate change’s impact on the island. These fires are just part of a wave of natural disasters that are going to continue to strike the planet in the near future due to the changing climate.
