Deep flaws in Hawaii’s climate shock defences

Cars that got stuck in traffic and subsequently burned in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Lahaina, the town destroyed by the fire, had only one major road in and out, not unlike many small communities around the United States. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

THE devastation from the Maui wildfire, the deadliest in the United States in more than a century, reveals the flaws in Hawaii’s efforts to adapt to climate change — and points to ways the state can better protect residents from future fires.

That list of shortcomings includes leaving huge areas of land covered in highly flammable invasive grasses; failing to adopt wildfire-resistant building standards; and shutting down dams, reducing the island’s ability to store water.