Satellite images taken on June 25 and August 9 show an overview of southern Lahaina, Hawaii, before and after the recent wildfires. (Image: Maxar Technologies)
The number of wildfires this year only increases as the island of Maui, Hawaii has been struck by several wind-whipped wildfires fueled by Hurricane Dora. Flames engulfed parts of Hawaii the morning of Wednesday, August 9, destroying a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people, reported NBC News.
The fires took people on the island by surprise on Tuesday, as it left behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of debris where historic buildings once stood. Residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the area – including some who reportedly jumped into the ocean to escape the flames.
The National Weather Service believes the combination of high winds and low humidity is what caused the dangerous fire conditions across the island.
On Wednesday, a series of maps from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System were released, highlighting the number of wildfires still burning on the island.
Satellite images also were taken, showing hundreds of shops and homes burned to the ground. The satellite images focus on the historic Lahaina area, which dates to the 1700s and has long been a popular tourist destination rich with native Hawaiian culture.
In one image from Maxar Technologies, the historic area of Banyan Court in Lahaina appears to have been mostly reduced to ash. Some 271 structures were damaged or destroyed, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, citing official reports from flyovers conducted by the U.S. Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department.
The fires in Maui come after scientists have warned that wildfires are becoming more frequent and more widespread across the globe.
Rising global temperatures and the increased extreme weather has led to a surge in the number of wildfires rapidly consuming extensive areas of vegetation and forested lands. Wildfires have recently spread across Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Tunisia and Canada — resulting in mass environmental and economic damage as well as human casualties.
A passenger on a plane captured the devastating wildfire that decimated the historic town of Lahaina, Maui.pic.twitter.com/h262jX92yq
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) August 10, 2023
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