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The town of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii, has experienced one of the deadliest fires in recent US history, resulting in a significant loss to its community. The exact cause of the fires is still under investigation, but a combination of severe drought, flammable invasive grasses, and powerful winds contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

According to NASA’s active fire data from August 8-10, the fire ravaged approximately 2,000 hectares across Maui, affecting various locations. An analysis of satellite imagery conducted by commercial satellite operators, Maxar and Planet Labs, revealed that a staggering 1,719 buildings were completely destroyed.

However, this number is likely an underestimate as it only considers structures that were included in OpenStreetMaps building footprint data. There were instances where buildings appeared destroyed but were not present in the data, making them uncountable. Additionally, the analysis does not account for buildings that may have sustained damage but could not be confirmed through satellite imagery alone.

The extent of the devastation becomes apparent when comparing images of Lahaina before and after the fire. Entire blocks of homes and businesses have been reduced to ashes in some areas, while other homes remain largely untouched.

This tragic event serves as a grim reminder of the escalating fire risks associated with climate change. Fire scientist David Bowman from the University of Tasmania draws parallels between the fires in Maui and Australia’s Black Summer in 2019-2020, highlighting the intensity of future fires as the effects of climate change worsen.

As the investigation into the cause of the Lahaina fire continues, the community faces the arduous task of rebuilding and recovering from the unprecedented destruction it has endured.

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