On August 8, the deadliest United States wildfire in over a century broke out in Maui, Hawaii. These fires were caused mainly by a mix of specific conditions on land and in the atmosphere which led to “fire weather.” However, one of the fires was caused by a power line falling due to high winds. As of right now, there are more than 115 confirmed deaths and at least 800 people are still missing.
Many residents and tourists were forced to flee the town of Lahaina, which had the most severe damage. The fires caused traffic that forced many people to take drastic measures in order to survive. People ditched their cars and began to run, some jumped into the ocean hoping to escape the flames, however, many were unable to flee and they died in their vehicles.
On August 30th, The Biden Administration pledged 95 million dollars to help Hawaii’s electrical grid. Earlier in the month, Biden traveled to Maui to assess the damages and he promised to do everything he can to help the people as quickly as possible. These funds will strengthen utility poles and critical power transmission lines. The money will also go to removing hazardous materials and preventing future fires from causing severe damage.
After almost three weeks, the police are almost done with their search. They have found 115 bodies, but there are still many people who are reported missing. They are now beginning to remove debris from the towns affected. The buildings left standing are filled with harmful chemicals from the fires, while the air is filled with smoke that can possibly leak into the water system. It is going to take a long time before these areas are habitable again but the people of Hawaii are working as efficiently as possible.
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