2023 Maui Wildfires: The Destruction of Historic Lahaina, Hawaii

The 2023 Maui wildfires destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui on 8 August 2023. Driven by hurricane-strength winds, a fire that had been reported contained earlier in the day flared up in the afternoon and swept through the town within hours. It killed 102 people and destroyed about 2,200 structures, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

Background: Lahaina and its landscape

Lahaina, on the west coast of Maui, is one of the most historic places in Hawaii. It was the royal capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from about 1820 to 1845, and in the 19th century it became a major port for the Pacific whaling fleet. Its Front Street, lined with old wooden buildings, and its enormous banyan tree, planted in 1873, made it a popular tourist destination. Its history as a centre of Native Hawaiian life reaches back long before the European era, to the Polynesian settlement of Hawaii.

The hills above the town had once been sugar cane and pineapple plantations. After the plantations closed, much of the land was overrun by non-native grasses, such as guinea grass, that grow quickly in the wet season and become highly flammable when dry. Experts had warned for years that West Maui faced a growing wildfire risk, and in 2023 much of Maui was experiencing drought.

The fire of 8 August

Early on 8 August 2023, Hurricane Dora was passing hundreds of kilometres to the south of Hawaii, while a strong high-pressure system lay to the north. The resulting pressure difference produced powerful, dry winds that rushed down the mountain slopes, with gusts of more than 60 miles per hour (about 100 kilometres per hour).

At about 6:30 am a fire started near Lahainaluna Road, on the edge of Lahaina, after power lines were knocked down. Firefighters responded and by mid-morning declared it 100 per cent contained. They later left the scene. In the middle of the afternoon the fire reignited in the same area and, pushed by the wind, spread into the town.

The fire moved through Lahaina with extraordinary speed. Strong winds grounded firefighting helicopters and threw burning embers far ahead of the flames. Residents trying to leave were caught in traffic jams on Front Street and the main highway, partly because roads were blocked by downed power lines and police roadblocks. Some people survived by jumping into the ocean off the seawall, where they stayed for hours in the smoke. Fires also burned on the same day in Upcountry Maui, around Kula.

Warnings and water

The disaster raised hard questions. Hawaii has one of the largest outdoor warning siren networks in the world, but the sirens were not sounded. The administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency defended the decision, saying the sirens were mainly used for tsunamis and could have led people inland towards the fire. He resigned the next day. Power and mobile phone outages meant many residents received no alerts at all.

Firefighters also reported low water pressure in hydrants as the town’s water system lost power and burning buildings drained the supply. A landowner’s request to divert more stream water into its reservoirs for firefighting, which state officials delayed for several hours, led to debate over water rights in a place where they had long been contested. Investigations commissioned by the state attorney general examined the response in detail.

Losses and aftermath

The fire destroyed or damaged about 2,200 structures, the large majority of them homes, and left thousands of people homeless. Losses were estimated at more than 5 billion dollars. Historic landmarks were destroyed, including the Pioneer Inn, the Baldwin Home museum and Waiola Church. The banyan tree survived, scorched but alive, and became a symbol of hope for recovery.

Identifying the dead took months. The final toll stood at 102, the highest for any American wildfire since the Cloquet fire of 1918 and higher than that of the Camp Fire in California in 2018.

Investigators concluded that the morning fire was started by power lines owned by Hawaiian Electric falling onto dry vegetation, and that the afternoon blaze was the same fire rekindling. Maui County and many residents sued the utility and other parties. In August 2024 Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, announced a global settlement of about 4 billion dollars to be paid by Hawaiian Electric, the state, Maui County and several landowners to people affected by the fires.

Timeline

• 2023, 8 August, about 6:30 am: A fire starts near Lahainaluna Road after power lines fall in high winds.
• 2023, 8 August, morning: Firefighters declare the fire 100 per cent contained.
• 2023, 8 August, mid-afternoon: The fire reignites and spreads into Lahaina.
• 2023, 8 August, evening: Most of the town is destroyed; residents shelter in the ocean.
• 2023, 17 August: The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigns.
• 2024, 2 August: A global settlement of about 4 billion dollars is announced.

Why it matters

The Lahaina fire showed that wildfire danger is no longer limited to regions traditionally considered fire-prone. It exposed weaknesses in warnings, evacuation routes, water supplies and power infrastructure, and destroyed a place of deep importance to Hawaiian history and culture.