Lahaina’s Paradise is Lost
On August 8th of 2023 the deadliest fire took place on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It is the deadliest fire in U.S. history. The fires swept through the northern portion of Maui, in Lahaina, leaving behind a path of destruction. Tragically, Lahaina’s paradise is lost for the time being.
Often times emergencies bring the best out of people.
People often collectively recognize the gravity of a dire situation and act accordingly. Disasters can also highlight glaring incompetence and dysfunction however. The latter has largely been the case for the victims of Lahaina. On top of Lahaina’s paradise being lost, residents are subject to looting and a litany of other problems. From emergency systems not being activated, roadways being blocked, and general lack of response, there is a lot that needs to be addressed.
What caused the fire?
It’s reported that a fire started in central Maui early in the morning on the 8th around midnight. This then spread in a North West direction toward the historic town of Lahaina. At 9 am the fire was declared completely contained, but by 3 pm about 1000 acres went up in flames near Kualono Place. At this point people could smell or see the fire. Many began fleeing in large numbers. There have been reports from locals of large flashes of light and cars exploding. Boats floating in water went ablaze as seen in some photos released. Many were forced to run into the ocean because the roads were so packed there was no place else to escape to. The air was thick with smoke and ash was raining everywhere.
What led to Lahaina’s paradise being lost?
The scene was described by Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. as looking “like a bomb went off.” There are thousands left stranded, brokenhearted, and confused. It’s unbelievable how many ways this tragedy was made worse. Hawaii has one of the best emergency alert systems in this country, or the world, being a place prone to tsunamis. Strangely, the alarms were never activated however. Children were home from school due to fears of strong hurricane winds. They are feared to be a great amount of those who perished.
Water was denied for putting out the fires initially. The man in charge of water dispersal, M. Kaleo Manuel, said it was necessary to get permission from the farmers because they are the ones who had rights to this water. He would release the water eventually, but the fires had ravaged a great deal of Lahaina by this point.
The last grave insult to add to this is that one of the only major roads into Lahaina was blocked by electric line maintenance trucks. As a witness pointed out, their presence was required because there were loose wires that needed to be removed from the path of traffic. Once they removed the dangerous wires they should have immediately moved out of the way however. Instead, they continued doing maintenance work, which was arguably unnecessary and putting lives at risk.
111 people have been confirmed dead. It is estimated that the number will climb to 1000 when all are accounted for. As victims are left waiting to know the truth of their loved ones’ status, many are for all intents and purposes homeless.
Lahaina’s epic history.
Lahaina’s history goes back anywhere from 300 to 700 ad. Polynesians traveled in dugout canoes, some large enough to hold 80 people. They would drift for vast stretches of time in the Pacific Ocean until they found land. When those first intrepid explorers stepped onto the land of current day Maui they knew they had found someplace special. Lahaina was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom before Hawaii’s unification under King Kamehameha in 1810. For one thousand years the Lahaina people would subsist off of breadfruit, fish, and whale.
Lahaina is open for business.
It’s hard to keep a great thing a secret for too long, especially during the age of exploration. European sailors and missionaries were naturally attracted to Maui for a few reasons. An obvious one is that it was a paradise and it is sunny 90 percent of the time. Sailors liked Maui for its calm seas and because it sat along a major whale migration path. Missionaries wanted to teach the indigenous Maui people how to read so they could spread the word of Christ. The people of Lahaina were very welcoming of these new arrivals. Unfortunately Europeans brought a host of diseases with them that Maui people had no immunity to, and many died as a consequence. This was the beginning of Lahaina’s losing its paradise.
Lahaina is clutched for an imperialistic land grab.
Queen Liliuokalani was the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Since many had succumbed to disease, the monarchy was greatly weakened. Queen Liliuokalani was in power when the United States organized a coup against her and Hawaii. She was resisting the Bayonet Constitution, which undermined the authority of the Hawaiian monarchy. It abolished Hawaiians’ land rights, granting them to foreigners instead. During March of 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state.
Lahaina is opened for business.
Ever since the first Europeans set foot there, Lahaina seemed destined to become a means for commerce. Outsiders put infrastructure in place that, intentionally or not, favored them. Hawaiian people became totally disconnected from their land and traditions, being effectively displaced in their own land. As time went on People would eke out a living by providing accommodations and entertainment for vacationers. This came with benefits and downsides. Much money was flowing into Lahaina, but it also drove up the price of real estate. Consequently, many indigenous Lahaina people were priced out of their own land. Up to the point of the fires there has been a housing crisis, and the fires have only exasperated the problem.
What was it like before Lahaina’s paradise was lost?
As previously stated, Lahaina was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom for a reason. It was paradise on earth. The streets were lined with quaint, charming, wooden buildings. Obviously, these went up in an instant when the fire made contact. Campbell Park was a popular place for hosting community festivals. Ancient trees were taken down. Many historic buildings are completely gone. All of the bars and venues that Lahaina people depended on for their livelihoods are obliterated, along with their homes.
Many are dissatisfied with FEMA and Red Cross aid so far.
There aren’t nearly enough supplies, which is driving people to looting, as stated earlier. Aid is pouring into Maui, but due to communications being down, this has hampered the ability to adequately distribute it. The U.S. government has pledged $5.6 million to Maui, with more relief expected. Lahaina victims have been given a one-time payment of $700 from the White House and FEMA. Many are critical of this amount, saying that it is chump change.
Will the aftermath of the Lahaina fires prove to be another imperialistic land grab?
There is fear that corrupt people will take advantage of the situation, separating the people further from their land. Real estate agents have already been harassing residents. Throughout the years there have been many scams conducted by fake FEMA officials. It’s been reported that some residents are already being evicted on social media. Many are fearful of the government too, and if it will continue its historic pattern of abuse toward Hawaii.
Most will agree that they don’t read the fine print when signing an Apple Terms of Service agreement. It is crucial at this time however that you know exactly what you are agreeing to if you sign something. Another thing to watch out for are those FEMA scams mentioned earlier. There are thankfully some ways to figure out if a FEMA official is actually a scammer. FEMA inspectors carry official photo ids. Ask to see it if isn’t visible. A FEMA official will also know your nine-digit registration number beforehand, so if they ask you for it they are a scammer. Lastly, FEMA officials never ask for money, so if someone claiming to be one asks you for money, chase them away.
What lies in store for Lahaina?
The horrors that have unfolded are unspeakable. All of these words seem meaningless in the face of such brutality, but if they help in any way at all that is all one can ask for. There’s been incompetence displayed at unfathomable levels. It will be difficult for people to trust authority after this. Sadly, Lahaina’s paradise is completely lost and will be for a very long time. Perhaps in 70 years there will be tall trees for children to play under, and their laughter will fill the air with joy again. Until then, the first priority is giving people a place to live. Will the rebuilt Lahaina serve the people or corporate interests? If Lahaina’s people remain cautious and steadfast to their cause perhaps it will be better than what was before.
May the people of Maui heal and prosper. As always I, and the team at Brooklynites, thank you for reading. Please help Lahaina and Maui in any way you see fit. Below I have provided a gofundme link:
Read more on the history of Lahaina:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahaina,_Hawaii
Read more on the history and geography of Maui:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui
Suspect found in the Gilgo Beach Killings:
https://172-234-236-52.ip.linodeusercontent.com/gilgo-beach-killings/
Synagogues vandalized in Brooklyn:
https://172-234-236-52.ip.linodeusercontent.com/synagogues-vandalized-in-manhattan-beach/
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