Crisis in Paradise:  Maui's Vacation Town Ravaged by Wildfires, Forcing Hawaii Residents to Seek Refuge in the Water

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Hawaii wildfire

Strong gusts that were partly brought on by Hurricane Dora, which passed hundreds of miles to the south, sparked flames in Hawaii that caused home fires and forced evacuations.

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Hawaii wildfire

The winds are not caused by Hurricane Dora. Instead, they are gradient winds between a powerful high-pressure core to the north of the Hawaiian Islands and a powerful low-pressure center, Hurricane Dora, as it passes to the south of the island chain.

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Hawaii wildfire

As night set, winds exceeding 60 mph (97 kph) knocked out electricity, shook homes, and grounded firefighting helicopters, according to the National Weather Service, which indicated Hurricane Dora, which was passing safely 500 miles (805 kilometers) to the south of the island chain, was partially to blame.

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Hawaii wildfire

Firefighters were running into roads obstructed by downed trees and power lines as they battled the inland fires, Martin said, and helicopters could not drop water on the fires from the air or measure more specific fire sizes because of the wind gusts.

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Hawaii wildfire

On Tuesday night, Hawaiian Electric reported that approximately 13,000 customers on Maui were without electricity.

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Hawaii wildfire

Hawaii's fires differ significantly from many of the fires that are currently blazing in the American West. They usually spread considerably more slowly than fires on the mainland and tend to start in expansive grasslands on the islands' drier edges.

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Hawaii wildfire

Prior to the arrival of people, fires in Hawaii and other tropical islands were uncommon and thus prevented the evolution of native ecosystems. This means that when fires erupt, they can cause significant environmental harm. Fires, for example, destroy vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rain, the rain can transport loose soil into the ocean, suffocating coral reefs.

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Hawaii wildfire

Donors wanting to help residents affected by the Maui wildfires expanded the Maui Strong Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to $1 million.

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Hawaii wildfire