Nasionalberita.com – A total of 96 lives were claimed by the wildfire in Hawaii over the past week. Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated that the death toll is predicted to rise as the uncontrolled blaze continues.
“This number will keep increasing. We want us all to be strong,” Green said.
This wildfire incident is believed to be the deadliest fire event in Hawaii since 1918. At that time, 453 lives were lost in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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However, why were many residents unable to escape from the clutches of this blazing fire?
According to speculations, the high number of casualties from this karhutla impact occurred due to a less-than-optimal early warning system in the Lahaina region. Many residents expressed complaints that preventive measures should have been taken earlier, before the fire consumed their homes.
“Above our hill, it was burning, and no one informed us,” said one resident, Vilma Reed.
She continued, “Do you know when we realized there was a fire? When the fire was raging across the street.”
Even though authorities sent emergency alerts via cell phones, radio, and television, amidst power outages and disrupted cellular services by the government, it remains unclear how many of these alerts were successfully received by the residents.
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono stated that they are currently awaiting the results of an investigation by the state attorney general’s office regarding the delay in warnings.
“We don’t want to find excuses for this tragedy,” said Hirono.
“We are fully focused, at least for now, on rescue efforts and finding more survivors.”
This wildfire not only claimed lives but also damaged more than 2,200 buildings. According to official estimates, the losses amounted to 5.5 billion dollars.
All of this disaster began with a brush fire in the Kula district, Maui City, on the evening of August 8. This situation arose from the prolonged drought that hit Hawaii, igniting a rapidly spreading fire.
The blaze then spread to the Lahaina area. The situation worsened with the presence of Hurricane Dora, hindering firefighting efforts and expanding the affected areas.
Governor Green acknowledged the difficulties authorities faced in operating amidst the raging fire and strong winds.
These strong winds were reported to reach speeds of up to 67 meters per second in several areas of Maui. This condition accelerated the movement of the fire, reaching wider areas.
