Americans are no strangers to devastating fires. From the blaze that destroyed 17,000 buildings and killed 300 in Chicago in 1871 to a series of fires across Northern California that killed 44 in 2017, to the Camp Fire in 2018 that destroyed the town of Paradise in the same region, wind-whipped, fast-moving and all-consuming fires have altered history and lives in the United States.
You would think we would be better at this by now.
At the time of this writing, authorities say 99 people are confirmed dead as a result of wildfires that have struck western Maui in the Hawaiian islands. But that figure is almost certain to grow considerably. USA Today has reported that more than 1,000 people may still be missing.
Criticism for many of these casualties is focused on the island state’s elaborate warning system, which was not utilized either ahead of or during the fire. NPR reported that Maui has 80 green siren towers designed to serve as warning signals for a variety of dangers, including natural disasters.
“There wasn’t really an evacuation notice for us,” one resident of Lahaina told CNN. The real warning, he said, was from the plumes of smoke that darkened the sky. But those were a sign of imminent and deadly danger.
An early warning signal might have helped people evacuate and reduced the number of casualties.
The head of the Hawaii Emergency Planning Agency told CNN the fire was moving so fast that authorities instead focused on their responses on the ground, as well as on cellphone alerts and messages broadcast over traditional radio and TV stations.
That may not sound like a reasonable explanation to people who were trapped by the fire, or the loved ones of people killed. It should, however, trigger some serious reflection by people in charge of emergency responses throughout the nation, including in Utah.
Fires pose real dangers in the Beehive State. Former Unified Fire Authority Chief Dan Petersen told Fox 13 two years ago that he is frightened by what might happen in Emigration Canyon, just east of Salt Lake City. In September 1988, a fire in that canyon threatened hundreds of the more than 1,300 homes there. It could happen again.
During the worst parts of the recent drought, research published by the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture said the fire danger in Emigration Canyon was extreme. Because of this, the abstract of the study said, the agencies “have identified this wildland-urban interface zone as a high priority.”
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands website has identified it as “the zone where structures and other human development meet and intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.”
With limited access to many inhabited parts of the canyon, county officials need to consider whether they are using the latest technology to respond to fires and to alert residents of the need to evacuate.
And with climate change altering temperatures and exacerbating dry conditions during parts of the year, other parts of the state no doubt constitute danger zones, as well. Communities everywhere should examine evacuation routes and traffic patterns so that no one ends up stalled in traffic congestion when fires come.
A Los Angeles Times investigation found that the town of Paradise had no plan in place for evacuating the entire city at once. Leaders there never envisioned the type of fire that ended up destroying the town.
Unfortunately, raging fires can move faster than people can react.
Officials say the fire that destroyed Lahaina in Hawaii spread at about “one mile every minute,” The Washington Post reported. It was spread by wind gusts of up to 81 mph.
Once the right atmospheric conditions exist and the winds take over, burning embers can spread fires faster than humans can react. That’s why it’s important for people to flee before the dangers become acute.
Maui’s tragedy already ranks as the deadliest U.S. fire in more than a century. But with temperatures rising in recent years, it is certainly not the only deadly wildfire in recent memory, nor is it likely to be the last.
It seems logical to use all efforts at hand, including warning sirens, to help people survive, just as it seems prudent to plan for the worst, preparing ways to save as many lives as possible.