Hawaiian officials reportedly downplayed the threat of wildfires for years prior to the deadly blaze on the island of Maui last week, as records show a history of underfunding and lack of planning that may have contributed to the devastation. Investigations from CNN and The Wall Street Journal found that Hawaii had dismissed wildfires as an event that…
Tags: wildfires
Maui wildfire death toll hits 53, expected to rise, in Hawaii’s ‘largest natural disaster’
Firefighters continue to battle three wildfires in Maui that have left at least 53 people dead and the historic town of Lahaina, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a smoldering ruin. The death count is “rising,” Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said at a news conference Thursday afternoon, local time. “It’s going to…