Fires need dry fuel. Hawaii as a whole has been in a drought for over a year, and in Maui conditions recently worsened considerably. There were times last year when drought conditions on Maui were far worse than they have been this year. In 2018 Hurricane Lane passed much closer to the Hawaiian islands, bringing record rainfall to the island of Hawaii itself. But on Maui, roughly 120km to the north-west, its winds fanned three fires, including one, the “Kaua’ula Fire”, on the outskirts of Lahaina.

Source: Hindustan Times November 27, 2023 13:38 UTC