LAHAINA, Maui — A year ago, the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century took 102 lives on the Hawaii island of Maui, leaving the historic town of Lahaina in ashes and spurring a series of investigations into what could have been done to better prepare for such a disaster.
Since then, laws have been passed, emergency agencies have implemented new policies, and residents and officials have grappled with how to rebuild the town.
But some of the more important steps that might help get ready for — or prevent — the next catastrophe have not happened, in part because there are lingering questions about how to pay for them.
The result is that, a year after the disaster, the island remains worryingly vulnerable to the wildfires that climate scientists say are an increasing threat, even in places like Hawaii.
Aina Kohler, a firefighter whose house was destroyed in the Lahaina blaze, moved to another home on Maui’s West Side and has taken time away from her firefighting job for much of the past year.
While she understands that only so much can be done in a year, Kohler said, she and other residents feel the government has not done enough to make the island safer.
She said she still wonders whether her family would be able to evacuate in time if another fast-moving fire swept through. She also worries about the amount of dry grass on the island, the power lines and the limited evacuation routes.
Every time the wind picks up, Kohler said, she and her family fear another blaze.
“The kids feel it, we feel it,” she said. “And we just have to talk ourselves down, like, ‘You’re going to be fine.’ But in reality, we don’t know that we’re going to be fine.”
Here is a closer look at some of the changes that officials hope to put into place:
1. New firefighting investments
Firefighters were overwhelmed by the fast-moving inferno that swept through Lahaina, plagued by delays in equipping crews and getting them into the field. As the blaze rushed toward the town, they encountered fire hydrants that had begun to run dry.
In a lengthy report issued in April by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, the industry group noted that the Maui Fire Department had not called up a sufficient number of firefighters despite warnings from the National Weather Service about conditions that were ripe for fires. The group also noted that the number of firefighters employed by the department in the past few decades has risen at a slower rate than the number of calls the department receives.
The department has planned a series of improvements, including standardizing what is kept in each firefighting vehicle, to avoid the delays that occurred last August when firefighters had to spend time gathering equipment for their vehicles.
The review also suggested that the department should consider allowing retired firefighters to help during major fires and provide more training to current firefighters, as well as strengthen its collaborations with other emergency and aid groups.
The state has allocated funds for a new fire marshal, ending Hawaii’s run as the only state without such a position.
2. Cutting back wildfire-prone grasslands
Lahaina’s fire started in parched grasses and shrubs next to residential neighborhoods. But along the slopes above those areas, the grasses are now back, appearing much as they did before the fire.
Non-native grasses, which occupy nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s landmass and have flourished on former plantation lands, have been a particular concern for years. In the aftermath of the Lahaina fire, grass mowing has been expanded in risky areas, and lawmakers have set aside money to better manage vegetation. But with some 1 million acres of wildfire-prone grass and shrub lands across the state, the efforts to control the risk are just getting started.
“There is a ton of work,” said Clay Trauernicht, a University of Hawaii researcher focused on wildfire and ecosystems. “It’s still, to a large extent, piecemeal.”
Along with near-term efforts to mow grasslands and establish firebreaks, Trauernicht says there are longer-term strategies to pursue. He would like to see lawmakers embrace livestock grazing to control grasses. Other areas could be turned into cropland.
And there is more work to be done to replace nonnative grasslands with vegetation that can slow the spread of fire.
3. Costly plans for electrical grid
On the day the fire swept through Lahaina, some of the first flames emerged below a broken electrical wire on a hillside above town.
The local utility, Hawaiian Electric, has since changed how it manages its electrical grid in storms, including shutting off power in high-risk areas when conditions are particularly hazardous.
It has also invested millions of dollars into safety programs. These include new artificial-intelligence cameras that can monitor for early signs of fire, dozens of new weather stations, more aggressive management of trees near power lines and exploring ways to bury more power lines.
But there are some downsides. The electrical system is now designed to be more sensitive to faults or disruptions, shutting down more frequently and for longer, until someone can physically examine the lines. Jim Kelly, a spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric, said customers “are definitely feeling that change.”
And a lot of the upgrades come with substantial costs. Kelly said the company was trying to pursue the improvements without major rate hikes. That has included looking for federal funding and new financing options. But if those don’t come through, he said, the safety measures may take longer to implement.
4. A fresh look at evacuation strategies
On the day of the fire, the evacuation effort was chaotic and confusing. A logjam of cars formed on Front Street as the fire rapidly approached, forcing people to eventually abandon their cars and jump into the water.
The evacuation procedures quickly became one of the most criticized parts of the government’s response. Officials said then that the fire had moved toward the town with stunning speed and that they chose not to activate a siren system because they worried that people would think a tsunami was coming and flee inland, toward the fire.
Since then, officials have announced plans to open additional evacuation routes to help Lahaina residents escape in the event of a disaster.
A report released in February by the Maui Police Department also said that officers needed better ways to communicate with each other. It recommended a dedicated phone line to provide information during emergencies.
At the time of the report, however, the police said they had not yet made progress on establishing that phone line, and the department did not respond to inquiries about whether it had made progress since then. The head of the Maui emergency management agency resigned shortly after the fire, and the county hired a new director in January.
5. Climate impact fees
One of Gov. Josh Green’s goals has been to get lawmakers to approve a climate impact fee to be paid by visitors to the islands that would help fund measures to protect against wildfires and other disasters. He said the money could be used to help create more firebreaks and install more fire-resistant roofs. The governor has also called for situating firefighting resources in wildfire-prone areas to add more overall firefighting capacity, including helicopters to drop water on fires.
This year, legislators declined to approve the climate fund idea, but Green said in an interview that he was not giving up.
In a world with a changing climate and a larger number of devastating natural disasters, he said, a climate fund will be a crucial part of preparedness.
“I expect that to be my signature ask next year,” he said.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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