Hawaii's Maui wildfires death toll reaches 53; A look at impact of swift-burning blazes

The rapidly spreading wildfires that swept through Maui in recent days had devastating consequences for both people and property. The death toll has reached a tragic 53, and the historic town of Lahaina was severely affected. However, the impact of these fires on Hawaii's environment and natural surroundings is also anticipated to be substantial.

As reported by AP, according to specialists, the fires are projected to bring about undesirable changes to the landscape, such as accelerating erosion, depositing sediment into water systems, and causing degradation of the vital coral reefs that play a crucial role for the islands, marine ecosystems, and the local population.

Let's look at the potential impact of wildfire.

Coral

As the wildfires swept through Hawaii, coinciding with the publication of oceanographer Jamison Gove's research in Nature about the recovery of Hawaiian coral reefs from a 2015 marine heat wave, the timing underscored the concerns over coral health. Gove's study emphasized the vulnerability of coral to potential harm from terrestrial pollutants entering the ocean.

Gove said AP on Thursday that the destruction caused by the fires – including the burning of residences, business establishments, and vehicles – could exacerbate the issue by concentrating synthetic substances in waterways, ultimately worsening the runoff of contaminants into the ocean.

“It's not a major leap to suggest when all that material is even more heavily concentrated in a small area, that the consequences would undoubtedly be more severe if and when it's in the ocean,” Gove said. He noted that Lahaina's coastal location meant “a minimal distance” for the materials to reach the ocean.

“Coral reefs provide coastal protection, they provide fisheries, they support cultural practices in Hawaii,” Gove said. “And the loss of reefs just has such detrimental consequences to the ecosystem."

Drinking Water

The wildfires might jeopardize the availability of safe drinking water.

According to Andrew Whelton, a professor specializing in civil engineering, environmental, and ecological engineering at Purdue University, the fires have the potential to pollute private wells, water networks, and even municipal water systems.

“The private wells, which can be shallow and sometimes have little more protection than a board or well house, are easily overcome by fire and contaminated”, Whelton said.

Also Read: Resilience Amidst Flames: Hawaii's Maui island after devastating wildfires. In Pics

Municipal water systems can also suffer consequences when fire disrupts distribution networks. Whelton outlined a situation where reduced pressure might cause polluted water to flow backward, drawing in elements like smoke, soot, ash, and vapors that can infiltrate materials such as plastics and gaskets. This infiltration could potentially give rise to long-term issues.

“They leach out slowly into the clean water you've just put in, making that clean water unsafe,” Whelton said.

Landscape and Soil Changes

Elizabeth Pickett, who holds the position of co-executive director at the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, a nonprofit focused on collaborating with communities to prevent and alleviate fires, expressed her sorrow for the transformations brought about by the fires.

“Invasive and fire-prone grass species have moved in over time and during a fire they can burn into native forests, which means the forests are replaced by more grass, Pickett said. The soil burns and sloughs off, leading to massive post-fire erosion that smothers coral, impacts fisheries and reduces the quality of the ocean water”, she said to AP.

The state is windy and the dust blows for years, harming human health, she added.

“When you lose your soil, it’s really hard to restore and replant. And then the only thing that can really handle living there in many cases are more of those invasive species,” Pickett said. “It’s systemic. Air, land and water are all impacted.”

Paul Steblein, the wildland fire science coordinator for the US Geological Survey, said there are a number of fire-adapted invasive species. If that is what grows back following a wildfire, then fires can become more common.

“Those invasive grasses are also growing faster during the periods that are wetter due to climate change and become easy to burn when it dries out”, Steblein said.

(With insights from AP)