Maui wildfires burn through Lahaina – it's a reminder of the growing risk to communities that once seemed safe
Fires burn in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 8, 2023. Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP Thousands of people were evacuated along Maui’s popular west coast as wildfires spread through buildings and hillsides starting Aug. 8, 2023, powered by strong winds from an offshore hurricane. Much of Lahaina, a tourist town of over 13,000 residents, was in flames. Most fires in the U.S. are suppressed before they have a chance to threaten communities, but the winds from Hurricane Dora were too strong to send helicopters to help contain the blazes on the first day, leaving firefighters to battle the fires from